Afghan police repel Taliban attack in N. province, Killing 8 militants

Afghan National Police repelled a Taliban attack on a district headquarters on Friday in northern Samangan province, killing eight militants, and one police officer also died, provincial police said on Saturday.

"The militants attacked security checkpoints in surrounding area of Duab district Friday. The ALP personnel bravely fought back the attackers and the clashes also injured 15 assailants in the district, southern of provincial capital Aybak city," provincial police spokesman Munir Rahimi told reporters.

Among the killed militants were Mawlawi Jalal, Taliban's deputy shadow governor for Samangan, and Ghysas Uddin, shadow district governor for the above district, Rahimi added.

The ALP also confiscated weapons and ammunition in the province, 215 km north of Kabul.

Earlier on Saturday, the security forces reopened a main road in Khan Abad district of neighboring restive Kunduz province after days of heavy clashes with Taliban.

The strategic route, which connects Kunduz with northern Takhar and Badakhshan provinces, had been closed by militants within the past week.

The clashes along the road claimed the lives of 10 security forces and 55 Taliban militants, while 13 troops and 43 militants wounded in the fightings in the province, 250 km north of Kabul.

The Kunduz province, as well as Badakhshan and Takhar provinces, has been the scene of heavy clashes over the past couple of months as Taliban has been trying to challenge the government forces in the once relatively peaceful region.

Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since April 28 when the militant group launched its annual rebel offensive in different places of the country. Endit