Fighting in Afghanistan continues amid calls for cease-fire in Ramadan

KABUL, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Fighting in Afghanistan has continued with heavy casualties reported since Monday amid repeated calls for observance of cease-fire in Muslims' fasting month of holy Ramadan.

In the latest reports of violent incidents, the Taliban militants stormed a security base in Dahna-e-Ghori district of northern Baghlan province on Tuesday, killing six security personnel and injuring nine others, district governor Qasim Khan said.

Nearly a dozen militants were also reported to be killed and injured in the firefight lasting six hours.

Five Afghan army soldiers and seven militants were killed and six others including two soldiers and four insurgents sustained injuries in the fighting in Balkh's Chamtal district late Monday night, on the eve of Ramadan.

Taliban militants executed three captured soldiers in Zibak district of northern Badakhshan province on Tuesday morning, provincial government spokesman Nik Mohammad Nazari said.

Two militants, according to an army statement, were killed in eastern Wardak province on Monday.

Exchanges of fire between government forces and Taliban militants have been continuing while Ramadan started on Tuesday with calls for observance of a cease-fire during the fasting month.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday repeated the call, urging the Taliban outfit to halt fighting and observe cease-fire during the religious fasting month to bolster the peace process.

"Once again I am calling upon the Taliban to give up fighting, enmity and observe permanent ceasefire which is the demand of the people of Afghanistan," Ghani said in his message to mark the start of Ramadan broadcast by local television channels.