Sticky bomb explosion kills at least three Afghan police officers in Faizabad

A sticky bomb exploded in , killing at least three police officers on Wednesday, officials said. Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Taliban’s interior ministry, said the bomb which was attached to a motorcycle exploded in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan province, while a convoy of security forces was passing through, adding that five other officers were wounded. Qani said the officers were on their way to destroy poppy crops in the area. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. A few days ago Badakhshan witnessed protests against the Taliban’s poppy eradication campaign, propelling a high-ranking delegation led by the chief of military staff Fasihudin Fitrat to visit the region and negotiate with protestors. Fitrat said Tuesday in a video message that he had addressed people’s complaints and that the situation was under control. He added that locals backed poppy eradication across Badakhshan. Protests erupted Friday after a man was shot and killed by after resisting poppy eradication attempts in Darayum district. Another was killed on Saturday during a protest in Argo district.

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