At least eight people – four soldiers and four civilians – were killed in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province on Friday in a Taliban attack, AP reported. Military spokesperson Hanif Rezaie said the militant group attacked a military outpost in the district of Archi in the morning.

The attack came a day after at least 15 Afghan border police personnel battling Taliban militants were killed at a checkpoint in the province’s Qalay-i-Zal district, Reuters reported. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid put the toll at 25 and said seven police personnel were wounded. The insurgents overran Kunduz in 2015 and 2016. The northern city has remained relatively secure in the past two years but the insurgents control many of the neighbouring districts.

Last week, the country’s Ministry of Defence claimed that at least 57 insurgents had been killed in ground and air strikes across the country in a day. The operations were conducted in 15 provinces across the country. The ministry said hideouts and weapons were also destroyed during air strikes in Farah province.

The increased violence and the government’s crackdown on militants comes ahead of parliamentary elections in the country that are scheduled to be held on October 20.