Local officials in Takhar have confirmed that at least 16 Border Police force members were killed in a Taliban attack in the northeastern province.

The attack occurred on Wednesday evening in Yatimi Tapa area in Chah Ab district where six other personnel of the Borer Police are still missing, officials said.

Some weapons of the government forces have been captured by the Taliban and there is no information on the missing soldiers, the provincial governor’s spokesman Sunnatullah Timor, told TOLOnews on Thursday.

However, Khalil Asir, the Takhar police spokesman, said two of the missing soldiers have been found.

The Chah Ab district is located in bordering areas between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Taliban has confirmed the attack.

This comes as government’s unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban will end on Friday. 

The Defense Ministry on Wednesday said the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will resume their regular campaign against militants once government’s unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban comes to an end.

The Defense Ministry’s deputy spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said it would be better for the Taliban to extend the ceasefire and change their path from bloodshed to peace and reconciliation.

He said the Afghan security forces will retaliate properly to any hostile move as the safeguard of the nation makes their main duty. 

Currently, government forces are tackling the Taliban in nine provinces, the Defense Ministry said.

Jalrez district in Maidan Wardak province is one of the volatile regions which has suffered intense fighting between government forces and the Taliban over the past days.

Security officials said government forces have retaken all areas that had been collapsed to the Taliban operatives in Jalrez during several days of fighting.

It was expected that the Taliban will also agree to extend the ceasefire, but the group instead announced end of the three days truce and resumed the war against the Afghan government.