Taliban militants clash with Afghan forces near Ghazni

Clashes have broken out between Taliban militants and government forces in Afghanistan, forcing some civilians to flee from their homes near the city of Ghazni, officials said on Friday. The Taliban raided three villages on the outskirts of Ghazni late on Thursday, destroying some newly built checkpoints and cutting off power to some parts of the city, Reuters reports. Government forces counter-attacked to block the insurgents from approaching the city, according to provincial police chief Farid Mashal. More than 1,000 Taliban fighters assaulted the city, 150km southwest of Kabul, on the main road to southern Afghanistan, this month – killing at least 150 soldiers and 95 civilians, according to the government.