Three policemen, 10 militants killed in Afghanistan attack

At least three Afghan border policemen and 10 militants were killed after Taliban militants attacked security checkpoints in the country's eastern province of Kunar Saturday morning, police said.

"Unknown number of Taliban militants armed with guns and heavy weapons stormed three security checkpoints in Dowkalan area of Nari district at around 5 a.m. The attack left three border police martyred and two others wounded," border police spokesman Adriss Mohmand told Xinhua.

In retaliatory firing by the Afghan forces, 10 militants were killed and 10 others were wounded in the district bordering Pakistan, the source said, adding several foreign militants were among those killed and injured.

Earlier reports said five policemen were killed during the clash which lasted for about five hours in the province, the capital of which is Asadabad, 185 km east of Afghanistan's capital Kabul.

The Taliban insurgent group claimed responsibility for the incident.

A surge in attacks has been witnessed in the country over the past couple of months as NATO and US forces withdraw from the war-torn nation.

Afghanistan is due to take over the responsibility for its own security from NATO-led troops by the end of the year.

More than 34,000 NATO-led coalition troops, down from the peak of 130,000 in 2010, are presently stationed in Afghanistan. Nearly 24,000 of them are Americans and the US plans to trim its forces to less than 10,000 next year.