Taliban on Saturday morning attacked the Ghorian district in the western province of Herat, local officials said, adding that the clashes are ongoing between the Afghan forces and the group.  

Ghorian district governor Farhad Khadimi said the Taliban militants were pushed back two kilometers from the center of the district but adding that the fighting is still underway. 

The attack by the Taliban was launched early on Saturday morning on the market of the district and its police headquarters, according to Herat police spokesman Abdulahad Walizada.  

The clashes come amid peace efforts and preparations for the intra-Afghan negotiations.  

This comes as the trip of the delegation representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the peace talks with the Taliban to Doha, Qatar, was once again delayed for unknown reasons. Sources close to Afghanistan's negotiating team said the trip is likely to take place on Saturday. 

Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Doha, in a note to TOLOnews, said that an exact date for the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations has not been set due to some technical issues. 

Sources familiar with the Afghan peace process said one of the core issues for the delay is that the Taliban has so far not completed the members of their peace negotiating team in Doha.