MAZAR-E-SHARIF (Xinhua): Fighting between Afghan military forces and the Taliban group have left seven insurgents dead and six others wounded in the country’s northern Balkh province, Abdul Hadi Jamal, a press officer of the army corps Pamir 217, said Tuesday.
The clash, according to the official, broke out after a group of Taliban militants attacked police checkpoints in Sharsharak area along the Mazar-e-Sharif-Jawzjan highway on Monday afternoon and lasted for hours during which seven militants had been killed and six others injured.
Five security personnel were injured in the fighting, the official said.
Security forces have been pursuing the militants to ensure lasting peace on the highway linking northern Balkh province to Jawzjan onward to Faryab province.
Confirming the conflict, army spokesman in the northern region Mohammad Hanif Rezai said that the militants fled away after arriving of units of national army to support police in the area.
Taliban militants are yet to make comment.
