By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

Twenty-five national and local Afghan policemen were killed Sunday in coordinated Taliban attacks on their outposts in the southern Zabul province, officials confirmed.

Situated between the restive Kandahar and Ghazni provinces, Zabul has been witnessing a surge in militancy of late.

Bismillah Afghan Mal, the province’s governor, told Anadolu Agency that fresh forces have been deployed to counter the militants.

“Scores of militants stormed security checkpoints in the Shah Joey district on the main Kandahar-Qalat highway last night. I can confirm we have 25 martyrs, and many Taliban have been killed,” he said.

For their part, the Taliban have vowed to inflict “heavy losses” on government forces and overrun many checkpoints.

A message posted on the Taliban’s website states fighting is still going on.

The evident surge in fighting across Afghanistan is in line with the Taliban’s annual spring/summer offensive named after their slain leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike exactly one year ago.

The Afghan Defense Ministry said Sunday that in the past 24 hours, up to 121 insurgents, including two Daesh affiliates, were killed and 41 others wounded in ongoing operations in 18 out of 34 provinces.

“The Afghan National Army as the nation’s defense force is ready to make sacrifices to ensure peace and security for people, and is strongly determined to eliminate terror groups,” it added.