Clash in E. Afghan province kills 16 including 12 militants

A total of 16 people including 12 militants and four police personnel have been killed as clash erupted in Andar district of the eastern Afghanistan's Ghazni province Friday night, provincial police chief Aminullah Omarkhil said Saturday.

The clash, according to the official, flared up in Mirazar area after Taliban insurgents stormed security checkpoints and police returned fire which lasted for hours.

Taliban, after leaving 12 bodies behind, fled the scene and cleanup operations in the area are going on, said the official.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Majahid, who claims to speak for the Taliban, in contact with media confirmed the clash, saying over two dozen security personnel have been killed.

A doctor at a hospital in Ghazni city said seven dead bodies and eight injured persons had been taken to hospital. Enditem