Afghan govt: 16 Afghan policemen killed in gun battles in northern and southern Afghanistan

Afghan govt: 16 policemen killed in 2 gun battles

KABUL — Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior says 16 Afghan National Police officers have died in two attacks on checkpoints in southern and northern Afghanistan.

The ministry said Monday that the first attack occurred before dawn in Baghlan province, north of Kabul, when a group of armed militants attacked a police checkpoint and killed eight policemen.

About the same time, militants attacked another police checkpoint in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. Another eight police were killed.

Both incidents are under investigation.