between Taliban and Hezb-e Islami fighters has left scores of militants dead in northern AfghanistanAt least 25 militants from both sides have been killed and more than 40 others wounded in a half-day long gun-battle in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan, a local police official said.
It is still unclear why the Taliban insurgents turned against their strategic ally group, Hezb-e Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, in Baghlan-e Markazi district of the province.
Baghlan-e Markazi, a Hezb-e Islami stronghold in northern Afghanistan, is a restive district in the region and a large number of Taliban and Hezb-e Islami fighters are believed to be stationed there.
"The clash between the Taliban and Hezb-e Islami fighters is on-going in Qaisar Khail, a village 9km north of the district centre, " said a spokesman for regional police command, Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai.
The police official said the Taliban have arrested 15 fighters of Hezb-e Islami during the battle.
The local police have not taken any action to curb the clash, but have surrounded the area and will move in after making sure that civilians will not be harmed in the battle, Ahmadzai further said.
It's the deadliest clash between Afghanistan's two major insurgent groups for many years and the dispute led to the gun-battle is to be known.
Neither the Taliban nor the Hezb-e Islami group have made an immediate comment over the fighting.
Hezb-e Islami led by Hekmatyar and the Taliban have a similar standing against the Kabul government and both of the groups have preconditioned the withdrawal of foreign troops to any peace talks.