At least 12 members of Afghan local police were killed in an attack by Taliban “infiltrators” in Herat province, local officials confirmed Saturday.

At least two Afghan National Police (ANP) personnel were killed in an early morning IED explosion in Kabul on Saturday.

Media advocacy groups on Friday raised concerns over the safety of journalists after a Ghor provincial council member was killed in a skirmish with the National Directorate of Security (NDS) this week, who suspected him of having assassinated at least two public figures, including a journalist.

Thursday marked another milestone in Afghanistan’s modern history when President Ashraf Ghani inaugurated the new fiber optic connection between Turkmenistan and the commercial port of Aqina in Afghanistan’s Faryab province.

Media support bodies in Afghanistan have accused government of not properly investigating the targeted killings of journalists adding that because of this and the high level of threats they face, some have already left the country.

Following Washington’s announcement that American troop levels were down to 2,500 in Afghanistan, NATO stated on Saturday its position in the country has not changed.

The attack happened at an outpost of local police force members in Ghorian district of Herat province. Security officials in Herat said that 13 members of Afghan Local Police were killed in an attack by Taliban “infiltrators” in their outpost in Ghorian district of Herat province on Friday night.

The Defense Ministry says Afghan forces are conducting almost all operations independently. The Afghan government on Saturday said the reduction in the number of US forces in Afghanistan will not leave negative impacts on the overall security situation in the country.

The attack happened in Daman district in the southern province of Kandahar on Saturday. An establishment belonged to the National Directorate of Security (NDS) was attacked by a group of armed men on Saturday morning, an attack that ended shortly after it started, security officials said.

Taliban fighters who infiltrated a base of pro-government Afghan militiamen killed 12 of them, officials say. Separately, a roadside bomb killed two policemen in the capital Kabul.