FARAH (PAN): Taliban militants on Friday briefly overran Pushtrud district of Farah province and nine policemen and six attackers including a commander were killed in ensuing fighting, officials said.

Farah governor Rohul Amin told Pajhwok Afghan News on Friday that a group of armed Taliban attacked the district headquarters' building, killing nine police men and injuring two others.

He said that the attack came hours later police killed eight insurgents in a clash in the district.

Amin said a number of Taliban attacked the district, sparking a two hour long gun-battle with police. He said a number of militants have also been killed in counterattack.

Police officials say the militants took control of the building at least three hours.

They add the militants also set ablaze a school building attached to the district headquarters building.

Taliban said they also killed six Afghan national army soldiers in the morning's attack in the Pushtrud.

However, the claim was rejected by the deputy governor of the province, Younis Rasoli, who said a number of militants were eliminated in clashes with army soldiers, but gave no exact figure.

He said the district was now under police control and the US-led coalition and Afghan army soldiers were arrived in the area.

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