Afghan authorities say Taliban fighters attacked security checkpoints in a northern provincial capital, killing two members of a community-based security force. The officials claim 18 attackers died in the assault, AP reported. Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, spokesman for Kunduz provincial police, said Saturday that the initial Taliban attack Friday in the provincial capital of the same name killed one member of the Afghan local police and wounded two. Hussaini says the Taliban then moved outside the city where a gun battle with Afghan security forces lasted until about midnight. He says 18 Taliban fighters and another local policeman were killed. Another 11 militants were wounded. NATO formally handed over control of Afghanistan's security entirely to local forces on Tuesday. The transition comes as violence reaches levels matching the worst in 12 years.
