KABUL: An Afghan official says the Taliban have attacked a checkpoint in the southern Kandahar province, killing five security forces.
The attack late Saturday comes ahead of a three-day cease-fire timed to coincide with the Eid Al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kandahar, says three other forces were wounded in the attack.
The Taliban claimed the attack in a statement to media.
The Taliban announced the upcoming cease-fire on Saturday, saying they would continue to defend themselves if attacked and would continue targeting foreign forces. The government announced the cease-fire last week.
The holiday, and the cease-fire, is expected to begin later this week.
Taliban kill 5 Afghan forces days ahead of truce
Taliban kill 5 Afghan forces days ahead of truce
- The attack late Saturday comes ahead of a three-day cease-fire timed to coincide with the Eid Al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
- The Taliban announced the upcoming cease-fire on Saturday, saying they would continue to defend themselves if attacked and would continue targeting foreign forces
Suspected Russia shadow tanker escorted toward French port: prefecture
- The tanker, the Grinch, was intercepted Thursday morning in international waters
- French prosecutors suspect it of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet
PARIS: An intercepted oil tanker suspected of belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet headed Saturday to a port in southern France for police to inspect, French authorities said.
The tanker, the Grinch, was intercepted Thursday morning in international waters between Spain and North Africa, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on X.
French prosecutors suspect it of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet, a network of vessels Moscow is accused of using to dodge sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine.
The French navy was escorting it on Saturday evening toward the port of Fos-sur-Mere near Marseille, where it was scheduled to arrive later in the day, the regional maritime prefecture said in a statement.
It will be anchored and kept at the disposal of the Marseille public prosecutor as part of a preliminary investigation for failure to fly a flag, it added.
The prefecture said nautical and air exclusion zones had been established around the anchorage site.
Some 598 vessels suspected of belonging to the shadow fleet are under European Union sanctions.
Authorities said the 249-meter-long Grinch appears under that name on a UK sanctions list of Russian shadow?fleet vessels, but as Carl on lists compiled by the EU and the United States.
