Dhaka: At least 20 police officers have been killed after militants ambushed checkpoints in Afghan’s volatile southern Helmand province, reported Associated Press quoting an official.

Mohammad Ismail Hotak, the head of the province’s joint coordination of police and military operations, said Saturday the ambushes late Friday night hit checkpoints in the Musa Qala district, long a Taliban stronghold.

He said the attack wounded 10 police officers and that the Taliban also seemed to have suffered high casualties.

He said the battle is ongoing and reinforcements have been sent from other districts.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Taliban militants have been targeting vulnerable police checkpoints across the country since launching their summer offensive in April.

Last month, a Taliban attack in Helmand’s Naw Zad district killed at least 19 police officers.