Authorities on Wednesday said that 34 members of the Afghanistan security forces were killed, including a senior police official, in an attacks by the Taliban in the northern province of Takhar.
A further eight were wounded in the incident that took place over night in the Baharak district, in a province that is highly contested between militants and government forces.
Local politicians placed the death toll at up to 42.
The militants attacked, as the members of the security forces were sleeping in several buildings in a village in Baharak, officials said.
Baharak is one of the districts of Takhar province, where 11 of the 16 districts have been largely controlled by Taliban militants for years.
Following the Taliban’s campaign in Helmand, the Takhar attack is believed to be part of a second major offensive by the militants in less than one month.
Earlier this month, thousands of families were displaced by bloody conflict in the southern Helmand province.
The increased violence came despite ongoing peace talks between the representatives of the government and the Taliban in the Gulf State of Qatar that kicked off last month.
The insurgents have so far refused to accept a ceasefire.
