An Afghan official says Taliban insurgents have stormed a checkpoint in a central province, killed at least eight Afghan soldiers.
Anwar Rahmati, the governor of Daikundi province where the attack took place, says four soldiers were also wounded in the hourslong gunbattle.
He said reinforcements were dispatched early Sunday to the area in Kajran district, driving off the Taliban and killing at least 20 of their fighters.
Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the checkpoint attack. He disputed the Taliban casualty figures provided by the governor, and said the insurgents had seized weapons and ammunition.
The Taliban control or hold sway over half of Afghanistan, staging near-daily attacks that target Afghan forces and government officials across the country.
