KABUL, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three Afghan security forces and 18 Taliban militants were killed in fresh clashes in the country's northern Kunduz province Sunday night, the Afghan Interior Ministry said Monday.
"Security forces fought a tense battle with Taliban militants after they attacked Qalay-i-Zal district with assault rifles and machine guns," the ministry said in a statement.
The militants tried to overrun the district's office buildings and headquarters but security forces deployed at the district retaliated effectively, forcing them to flee from the scene.
Eight militants were also wounded during the fighting and those among the killed militants was a local Taliban divisional commander named Quraishi, according to the statement.
The province has been the scene of heavy clashes between Taliban and security forces for long.
Fighting rages across the war-torn country and clashes between security forces and Taliban have been continuing in most of the country's 34 provinces since early April when Taliban launched a yearly rebel offensive.
