Afghan security forces repel Taliban attack in N. province, killing 14

Afghan security forces repelled a Taliban attack in the country's northern province of Jawzjan, killing 14 militants, the provincial police chief said on Monday.

"Taliban militants attacked security checkpoints in Darzab district Sunday night. The security forces fought back the attackers. As a result 14 militants were killed and nine others wounded," Gen. Rahmatullah Turkistani told Xinhua.

Sporadic clashes have been continuing in the remote district as of Monday morning, police official said, adding among the injured was a foreign militant from neighboring Uzbekistan.

No security force member was hurt during the clashes, he said.

Jawzjan and the neighboring Faryab province have been the scene of heavy clashes over the past couple of months as the Taliban has been trying to challenge government forces in the once relatively peaceful region.

The Taliban militants, who ruled the country before being ousted in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, staging ambushes and suicide attacks, killing combatants as well as civilians.

They have been on rampage since the beginning of 2015 when the Afghan security forces assumed the full responsibilities of security from the U.S. and NATO forces. Enditem