Militants slaughtered 16 police officers in two separate attacks in Afghanistan today. Gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint in Northeastern Baglan Province and one in Lashkar Gah, the capital of troubled Helmand Province in the south. At least two attackers were also killed in the firefight. It wasn't immediately clear if the attacks were intended to discourage Afghan residents to join security forces. A wave of new recruits has joined the Afghan army since pay rates were boosted to match money paid to Taliban fighters, reports the New York Times.
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