Afghan government says 13 policemen killed in ambush earlier in week

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghanistan's Interior Ministry says 13 policemen were killed and 18 wounded in an insurgent ambush this week in a remote northern part of the country.

A ministry statement on Friday says the ambush took place on Wednesday in the Wurduj district of Badakshan province.

The Taliban had earlier claimed responsibility for the attack.

The statement also says that 47 insurgents were killed in the same area during a police operation earlier in the week.

Although attacks with high casualty figures are increasingly common as insurgents escalate their campaign against government forces across Afghanistan, they are rare in Badakshan.

The region, nestled in the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges and bordering China, is one of the most remote in the country.