Taliban insurgents have attacked an Indian construction project in the western Afghan province of Herat killing 11 Afghan policemen and wounding several others, a provincial official said on Sunday.
Violence has hit its worst levels in Afghanistan since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001. At least 2,700 people including 1,100 civilians have been killed this year, aid agencies say.
While insurgents have been active in the south and east of the country, violence in recent years has spread to the north and west. "Eleven guards and two Taliban were killed last night when a group of insurgents attacked Salma Dam in Cheshti Sharif district," said Farad Khamedi, the administrative chief of a neighbouring district.
"The dam is under construction by Indian engineers but no Indians were killed or wounded", he said. The Afghpeatedly accused Pakistan's spy agency of supporting militant attacks on Indian construction projects in Afghanistan, an accusation Pakistan denies.
India is one of the biggest aid donors to Afghanistan. Several Indian construction and telecommunications workers have been killed or kidnapped in Afghanistan, where India has pledged about $750 million in aid for construction projects.