By Shadi Khan Saif<br> </p> <p>KABUL (AA) – At least 36 members of the Afghan security forces and 22 Taliban rebels have been killed in fresh clashes in the country’s north, officials and local media confirmed Tuesday.<br> </p> <p>The renewed fighting coincides with a two-day round of peace talks now underway in Moscow between Taliban representatives and several Afghan officials (not affiliated with the Kabul government).<br>
Safiullah Amiri, deputy chairman of the provincial assembly of Kunduz province on the border with Tajikistan, told Anadolu Agency that the rebels had overrun a number of checkpoints manned by army, police and pro-government militiamen late Monday.
<p>Amiri confirmed that 36 security personnel had been killed — and at least 20 more injured — in the attacks.<br> </p> <p>The Afghan Defense Ministry, for its part, said the Taliban assault in Kunduz had been repulsed. </p> <p>“The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces repelled the enemy attack in the Khwaja Pak and Taloka areas on the outskirts of Kunduz city last night at around 1:00 a.m. [local time],” read a ministry statement. </p> <p>At least 22 rebels were killed and another 18 injured, the ministry added, going on to note that a number of security personnel had been “martyred” in the fighting. <br> </p> <p>Similar rebel attacks reportedly occurred in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province, where, according to local Azadi Radio, as many as 10 security personnel were killed in coordinated assaults by the Taliban.<br> </p> <p>Claiming credit for both onslaughts, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said in a statement that four checkpoints had been completely overrun. </p> <p>Mujahed added that at least 40 Afghan forces had been killed in Kunduz and Baghlan.</p>
