Afghan government forces have retaken control of a district headquarters in the northern province of Takhar that was briefly seized by Taliban fighters, a spokesman for the provincial governor said.

The militants seized the center of the Dasht-e Qala district on May 30 "after seven hours of fighting and resistance," spokesman Sunnatullah Timor told RFE/RL.

The country's security forces recaptured the area a few hours later following heavy fighting, he added.

The violence left at least four security forces members dead, according to officials. A number of militants were also reported killed.

Attacks on Afghan security forces, district centers, and provincial capitals have increased since the announcement of the Taliban's annual spring offensive in April.

In the eastern province of Logar, at least three Afghan police officers were reported killed on May 30 after a group of suicide bombers targeted a police station in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

A local affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group has also launched a number of deadly attacks in recent months, including in Kabul.

The group claimed a May 30 gun and bomb assault on the Afghan Interior Ministry compound in the capital that left one policeman and all eight attackers dead.