TALUQAN, Afghanistan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security forces repelled an overnight attack by Taliban militants on a district headquarters in northern Takhar province, killing five attackers while four police were wounded, police said on Friday.
"The attack occurred at midnight on Thursday after dozens of militants stormed Khwaja Bahawuddin district center. But security forces fought back the attackers after hours of heavy clashes, killing five," Gen. Shir Aziz Kamawal, commander of 808 Spin Zaar Police Zone based in the region, told Xinhua.
He said four members of Afghan Border Police and three militants also wounded during the exchange of fire in the district near the border with Tajikistan.
The government office buildings were damaged following the clashes in the province, 245 km north of national capital of Kabul.
In addition, five militants were killed after a pilotless plane of the NATO-led coalition forces struck a vehicle running in Erganak locality of Charhar Dara district in neighboring Kunduz province also on Thursday night, district Gov. Zulmai Farooqi told Xinhua earlier on Friday.
Among the killed was Mullah Hashimi, a local Taliban commander, and the militants' vehicle was also destroyed by the airstrike in the province, 250 km north of Kabul.
Taliban militant group has yet to make comments.
The Taliban has intensified attacks around the country recently, as spring and summer known as fighting season, are drawing near in the Central Asian country.
On Wednesday night, the Taliban took control of Sangin district center in restive southern Helmand province but the Afghan officials said that the troops retreated from the district center after government relocated the district headquarters into outer side of the strategic district to avoid civilian casualties there.
