File photo of Taluqan, capital city of Takhar province, Afghanistan
Kabul: A Taliban bid to capture the city of Taluqan, the capital of Takhar province was foiled by Afghan security forces. The confrontation killed 28 militants, an official said on Tuesday.
The official said that the Taliban militants were planning to storm Taluqan city from different directions but the ground troops backed by fighter planes targeted the militants, forcing them to retreat, reports Xinhua news agency.
The attack also left 17 Taliban injured, besides the 28 victims.
The Taliban has been reported as in control of all the 16 districts' of Takhar province and the last one month has seen their fight for capturing Taluqan city, 245 km north of Kabul.
A number of Takhar residents have staged a sit-in in Kabul over the past one week, calling on the central government to send more troops to the province, fearing a total takeover by the Taliban.
In another development, nine militants, including four foreigners, were confirmed dead after Afghan soldiers ambushed a group of Taliban fighters in Kuran-wo-Munjan district of the Badakhshan province on Tuesday.
Taliban militants reportedly control of 19 out of 27 districts in Badakhshan province.
(With inputs from IANS)