Afghan forces kill 8 militants in northern Sari Pul province

SARI PUL, Afghanistan, May 1 (Xinhua) -- A total of eight militants have been killed and seven others sustained injuries as clash flared up in Sangcharak district of Afghanistan's northern Sari Pul province on Tuesday, army spokesman in the northern region Mohammad Hanif Rezai said Wednesday.

The clash erupted in some villages of Sangcharak district after the security forces launched operations on Tuesday afternoon to wipe out the militants from the area. The militant group retreated from several villages after leaving eight bodies behind.

No security personnel have been hurt, the official asserted.

Rezai also said that security checkpoints had been established to ensure lasting peace there.

Taliban militants haven't commented.