Afghan forces clashed with suspected militants in the northern part of the country, killing four including a foreign fighter, a local official said Tuesday.
The fighting in Khawaja Ghar district of Takhar province began on Monday night after soldiers attacked a Taliban hideout in the region, Mullah Mohammad Omar, the district governor, said, DPA reported.
Four other insurgents were injured and a fighter from neighbouring Tajikistan was among those killed, he said.
The northern region was comparatively peaceful until three years ago. Foreign militants have also begun operating in the region.
Rebel activities have increased their activities in the area since intensified US military offensives in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar this year.
Afghan and NATO troops reportedly killed at least 15 militants late Sunday in the northern province of Kunduz, in response to suicide bombings earlier in the day. At least 14 Afghan troops were killed in the attacks carried out by four bombers, including two foreign fighters, in the centre of the provincial capital.
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