Helmand

Official says Afghan forces had managed to take back five checkpoints from Taliban control, killing 23 fighters

Women from the ethnic Pashtun-dominated region began protesting alongside men in the provincial capital

More than 50 fighters were killed and vehicles and equipment destroyed during the two-day offensive

Taliban spokesperson says fighters have captured police headquarters and a military base overnight

The bomber detonated an explosives-packed car next to an Afghan army vehicle

The fighting in Helmand province had actually dipped in recent weeks but the lull is temporary, warns spokesperson