3 policemen dead in an attack on government building by Taliban

An Afghan official says insurgents have killed three policemen in an attack on government buildings in an unstable district of southern Helmand province.

Omar Zawaq, spokesman for Helmand's governor, said on Thursday that insurgents overran police headquarters and other buildings in the Musa Qala district which has shifted between government and Taliban control for years.

He says the attack began on Wednesday and the fighting lasted several hours. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Afghan security forces are facing one of the biggest challenges of the 14-year insurgency, as they take on the Taliban without the backing of international combat forces, most of which withdrew last year.