<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The Taliban struck today in Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz, leaving 15 soldiers dead there and in western Farah province, where they killed four policemen.  </div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">According to army spokesman Mohammad Hanif Rezaie, who is based in Balkh province, Taliban fighters tried to overrun a military security post in the district of Dasht-e-Arch, using artillery shells.  </div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Along with the 15 killed, at least 13 soldiers were wounded in the four-hour-long gunbattle.  </div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">However, Mohammad Yosuf Ayubi, the head of the provincial council, said as many as 30 soldiers were killed. The disparate death tolls could not be immediately reconciled.</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In the attack in Farah, the Governor's spokesman Mohammad Naser Mehri said the Taliban targeted a police checkpoint.  </div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The Taliban have not so far claimed either attack but the insurgents have recently stepped up assaults in both provinces and elsewhere in Afghanistan.</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has repeatedly extended calls to the Taliban for peace talks but the insurgents have rejected them outright.  </div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">NATO leaders are expected to discuss Afghanistan later today at their summit in Brussels during which the alliance is expected to make a commitment to keep funding the Afghan army and its training mission.</div>