Asia-Pacific

1,292 Afghan police killed in 2010

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-02 20:52

KABUL - In year 2010, 1,292 Afghan policemen had been killed in Taliban-led insurgency, spokesman of Interior Ministry Zamarai Bashari said Sunday.

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"During the year 2010, Afghan National Police (ANP), in efforts to ensure law and order in the country, had lost 1,292 of its personnel and 2,447 others sustained injuries," Bashari told a weekly press conference here.

The fatalities that Afghan police suffered in 2010 had decreased in comparison with 2009, Bashari said, adding that 1,400 police personnel had lost their life in 2009.

He said 2,043 civilians had been killed and more than 3,570 others injured throughout the last year.

He also added that 6,710 security incidents and terrorist attacks took place in 2010 and among them, 109 were suicide bombings, 2,300 were roadside bombings and the rest were other kind of subversive activities.

"Regarding fatalities on insurgents, I can confirm that a total of 5,225 militants were killed and 949 others sustained injuries in the past year," he emphasized.

He also said that police conducted 210 independent operations and 712 joint operations with Afghan army and NATO-led forces in 2010 and had captured more than 5,590 militants.

"Police forces have also detected and defused 9,751 roadside bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) throughout 2010," he stated.

Bashari said that more than 35,300 policemen had been trained and commissioned to national police force. The strength of Afghan national police at present is 122,000 and would reach 134,000 by the end of 2011, the spokesman added.

He also said ANP and special Counter-Narcotics Police had found and seized more than 171 tons of illicit drugs, including heroin in 2010.

The security forces had also arrested over 1,600 persons on charge of involvement in drug trafficking during the past year.