KABUL: Afghanistan’s police say Taliban fighters stormed a security outpost in the northern Balkh province killing 5 personnel.

Provincial police spokesman Adel Adel says security personnel battled Taliban for five hours early on Thursday until reinforcements arrived eventually repulsing the attack.

The insurgent movement is in talks with the US peace envoy in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar, yet they still carry out near daily attacks on military installations in Afghanistan. Both the Taliban and the US-led coalition have embraced a policy of fighting while talking, each seeking to strengthen their negotiating position.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack saying six police were killed.

A day earlier in the capital of Balkh province a bomb exploded wounding six civilians. No one claimed that incident.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2019