Eight policemen and five Taliban fighters were killed in a clash with the Taliban on Saturday night in the northern Afghan province of Balkh, local police said. 

Adil Shah Adil of the provincial police said the clash took place after armed Taliban militants attacked a security check-post with guns and missiles.

He said six other policemen and seven militants were also injured in the clash.

In recent years, there have been frequent clashes between security forces and Taliban fighters in the province.

The Taliban claimed that 12 policemen were killed in the clashes in Balkh. 

A Taliban spokesman, Jabihullah Mujahid, tweeted that militants had seized an armored military vehicle and weapons from a security checkpoint.