Afghan police killed nine Taliban militants in Ghazni province of central Afghanistan early Saturday, provincial police chief Ali Shah Ahmadzai said.

Some militants stormed a police checkpoint in Qarabagh district at around 1:00 a.m. local time, Ali Shah Ahmadzai told Xinhua, adding the police returned fire and killed nine rebels.

One policeman was injured in the conflict, the police chief said.

Due to rising Taliban-linked insurgency, over 2,300 persons, most of whom were Taliban militants, have been killed in Afghanistan this year.

Source: Xinhua