Nine Afghan security officers killed in Taliban ambush

At least nine members of Afghan security forces were killed and eight were injured in clashes with Taliban fighters in northeastern Afghanistan, media reported Sunday, citing local officials.

The attack took place in the Nusai District in the northeastern province of Badakhshan early Saturday morning, according to the Afghan TOLOnews broadcaster.

Officials said that fighting was still ongoing and that the militants were close to the district’s government compound. If reinforcements are not sent, they said, "the district may fall into the hands of the Taliban."

The Taliban, in turn, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Afghanistan has been suffering a prolonged confrontation between government forces and the militants of the radical Taliban movement, which had previously captured significant territory in rural areas of the country and launched attacks on large cities. Afghan National Defense and Security Forces regularly conduct joint counterterrorism operations across the country.