Seventy percent of Afghan national police service members in southern Kandahar province have left their duties, local officials claimed.

Kandahar provincial Governor Hayatullah Hayat, however, told Ariana News that the government is trying to mobilize police forces in the province.

“Only 30 percent of the police service members are on duty right now. The rest of them, which is 70 percent, has been disbanded, but we are trying to mobilize forces and reestablish the checkpoints.”

This comes as Arghandab, Zherai, Panjwai, Maiwand, and Dand districts witnessed heavy clashes in the past two months that displaced thousands of civilians.

Meanwhile, at least 300 outposts have been collapsed into the hands of the Taliban militants, sources said, adding that in some cases police abandoned the posts “without firing a bullet.”

Senator Asif Sediqi, a member of a delegation which is Kandahar to review the security situation of the province, stated: “Unfortunately, most of the 300 outposts were collapse without resistance.”

According to the reports, the Taliban insurgents have increased attacks against the security forces in Kandahar. The group has carried out 28 car bomb attacks in the province in recent months.

Reporter: Farshad Saleh