Militants' attack kills 4 Afghan troopers in northern Balkh province

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Four security personnel have been confirmed dead after a group of Taliban militants stormed security checkpoints in Balkh district of the northern Balkh province on Tuesday, provincial governor's spokesman Munir Ahmad Farhad said.

The Taliban insurgents, according to the official, launched multi-pronged offensives on security checkpoints in Hewad Palacepush area of the restive Balkh province early Tuesday morning, killing four security personnel including a policeman, and wounding 10 others including six policemen.

However, the official stressed that the attacking militants fled away after suffering casualties, but couldn't give an exact figure.

Taliban militants haven't commented.