Separate conflicts in Afghanistan's western Farah province left nearly two dozen including seven police dead, officials said Sunday.

In the first gun battle, occurred in Balablok district on Saturday, Afghan security forces backed by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) eliminated six insurgents and injured two others, spokesman of the military in the region Abdul Basir Ghori told Xinhua.

He added that two police were killed in the fire-fight.

On the other incident, fire-fight between Taliban militants and police on the same day Saturday in the neighbouring Pashtrod district claimed the lives of eight rebels and five policemen, a police officer in the province Mohammad Nabi Popal told Xinhua.

He said several Taliban got wounded in the fire-fight lasting for a while.

Taliban fighters have vowed to intensify activities this year throughout Afghanistan and gradually expand their influence to the restively peaceful western and northern region.

Source:Xinhua