Afghan battle kills 2 militants in northern Takhar province

Explosion

TALUQAN, Afghanistan, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Two militants were killed and three others were injured as a clash erupted in Eshkamish district of the northern Takhar province on Tuesday, a local police commander Abdul Rashid said.

The clash, according to the official, broke out after a group of Taliban militants attacked a security checkpoint in the Kataqaroq area of the restive district at 04:00 a.m. local time, triggering a gun battle which lasted for 40 minutes. and resultantly two militants were killed.

Two militants were killed during the firefight and another three were injured, including two militants and a police officer, the official added.

The Taliban militants, according to a local official, captured a police in Chachma area of Bangi district, Takhar province Tuesday morning.

The incidents in Takhar, with Taluqan as its capital 245 km north of Kabul, are among the few security happenings that have been reported since the U.S.-Taliban peace deal was signed on Feb. 29 to end the war in Afghanistan and withdraw the U.S. troops from the country.

The Taliban militants who are bound under the peace deal to reduce violence under the agreement to facilitate intra-Afghan dialogue have not commented.