KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least eight militants, loyal to the Taliban group, were killed and six others wounded, following a series of Afghan forces operations in the country's northern province of Kunduz, a local official said Thursday.

The operation was launched in Nahr-e-Sufi village of the troubled Chardara district on Wednesday night and lasted for several hours leaving eight insurgents dead, Ghulam Hazrat Karimi, the spokesman of Pamir 20 Army Corps in the northern region, told Xinhua. Six more insurgents sustained injuries, he added.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban purported spokesman in contact with media confirmed the clash, claiming 11 government soldiers were killed in the incident, a claim rebuffed by Karimi as groundless.