KABUL – Several people were killed in a deadly clash in northern Balkhprovince of Afghanistan as the Taliban claim that security personnel werekilled in an operation of the Red Unit of the group.

However, the local officials are saying that a member of the Afghan LocalPolice (ALP) forces and 16 public uprising forces were killed during theclashes in Sholgar district.

On the other hand, a security source in Mazar-e-Sharif city saidpreliminary reports indicate the attack was carried out by a militant whohad infiltrated among the uprising and local police forces.

The source further added that the victims were apparently poisoned beforethe militants stormed their check post and killed at least 17 people.

The Taliban group spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid however claims that a groupof the Special Forces of their Red Unit stormed the check post and killedat least 18 policemen.

This comes as seven militants were killed and five others were woundedduring the clashes that took place in the vicinity Salbaroon, KhwajahRoshnayi, and Samochak villages during the similar clashes in Chahar Bolakdistrict last week.

Balkh is among the relatively calm provinces in North of Afghanistan wherefewer insurgency related incidents have been reported since the fall of theTaliban regime and during the recent years.

But the anti-government armed militant groups are attempting to expandtheir insurgency in this province as the security situation in certainNorthern provinces has started to deteriorate.