Taliban insurgents have attacked Farah city, the capital of Farah Province in western Afghanistan, close to the Iranian border, killing and wounding dozens of security forces, Afghan officials say.
Several security checkpoints were overrun by Taliban fighters on May 15 and heavy fighting was ongoing in the city, said Fared Bakhtawer, head of the Farah provincial council.
Bakhtawer said as many as 30 members of the Afghan security forces were killed or wounded in the fighting so far.
An unnamed local government official and several residents said fighting between security forces and militants was under way around 4 kilometers from the city center.
A lawmaker from Farah Province, Mohammad Sarwar Osmani, also confirmed the Taliban attacks.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mujahid said Taliban fighters launched a multipronged attack and overran a large number of checkpoints belonging to Afghan security forces in the city.
Farah Province also borders Helmand Province, where the Taliban controls several districts.
