"Last night, insurgents fought for several hours at Afghan checkpoints in the Loari area of Chamkani district and Muqbalo area of Patan district and killed three soldiers and injured five others," Abdullah Hasrat said.
Government forces killed eight insurgents and wounded five others, he added. The Taliban have not yet commented on the clashes.
The Pentagon said in a quarterly report published this week that the Taliban had increased attacks on Afghan forces to levels above seasonal norms in the month following the signing of the US-Taliban peace deal in late February.
