Gun battle between Afghan government forces and Taliban had left eight insurgents dead in the northern Kunduz province with Kunduz city as its capital 250 km north of Kabul on Thursday night, local officials said Friday.

Five militants were killed in Qala-e-Zal district on Thursday night, according to district governor Mahbubullah Sayedi and three more Taliban fighters had been killed in the neighboring Chardara district, governor of Chardara district Zalmai Farooqi said.

Meantime, Zabihullah Majahdi who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in contact with media disputed the claim, claiming the militants destroyed a battle thank in Chardara district on Thursday inflicting casualties on security personnel.

Parts of Kunduz province including Chardara and Qala-e-Zal districts have been the scene of Taliban-led bloody insurgency over the past couple of years.

Source: XINHUA