The Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) pushed back a Taliban offensive on Mazar-e-Sharif city and retook Nahr-e-Shahi district, Balkh governor Mohammad Farhad Azimi said on Tuesday.

Azimi said that on Monday night the ANDSF and the Taliban clashed in Nahr-e-Shahi district and Dehdadi district.

He said the Taliban retreated from the area after facing strong resistance from the Afghan security forces.

“The Taliban have focused their attention on Balkh province to take control,” said Azimi.

“We managed to recapture this area while facing strong resistance and with the help of air support,” said Sultan Musavi, the police chief of Nahr-e-Shahi.

Nahr-e-Shahidi is adjacent to Mazar-e-Sharif, the center of Balkh.

“Our frontline crosses over 34 kilometers which is very vulnerable,” said Abdul Kabir Sharifi, Nahr-e-Shahi district governor.

“Last night we were attacked, but we defeated the Taliban,” said Abdul Qadeer, the commander of public uprising forces.

Meanwhile, a number of residents of Hazarjereeb village in Dehdadi said that the Taliban has fired mortars toward the 209 Shaheen Army Corps several times in the past few days.

“Mortars were fired from the Imam Bakri direction towards 209 Shaheen Army Corps, the people are very fearful and they are fleeing the area,” said Nawid, a resident in Dehdadi.

People in Dehdadi said that occasionally civilians are  hurt as a result of the air strikes.

In the latest incident, three members of a family were killed in the Samar Qandian village of Balkh as a result of air strikes.

Fighting in Balkh has also displaced hundreds of families.