TALUQAN, Afghanistan, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least four militants were killed and six others wounded when Afghan security forces repelled an attack in northern province of Takhar, a local police said Thursday.
"Taliban fighters attacked a key Afghan Local Police (ALP) hilltop checkpoint in Ishkamish district Wednesday night. The ALP fought back the attackers, leaving four insurgents dead and six others wounded," Mahfuzullah Akbari told Xinhua.
The government established the ALP, or community police, in 2010 to protect villages and districts around the country where army and police have limited presence.
Bordered with the neighboring Baghlan province, Ishkamish is relatively insecure as some areas are still under the control of the Taliban who are struggling to fully overran the district.
No civilian or ALP member have suffered casualties and no comment had been still made from the Taliban about the recent clash, which the police officer said had continued until Thursday morning.
Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south and east to the once peaceful region in the north, where the militants have been recruiting from among the youth.
