Afghan security officials check people and vehicles on a road side check point on Friday. Authorities said Monday that Islamic State and Taliban militants joined forces Thursday to attack the village of Mirzawalang, killing 50 people. Photo by Jalil Rezayee/EPA

Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Militants of the Islamic State and the Taliban joined forces to attack an Afghan village last week -- killing dozens of villagers, a provincial spokesman said Monday.

The attack came in the northern Afghanistan village of Mirzawalang in Sar-e-Pul province.


Provincial council leader Mohammad Noor Rahmani's office said two insurgent groups collaborated in the attack on the minority Shiite Hazara community. Council spokesman Zabiullah Amani said the attack happened Thursday, and that Afghan forces had secured the area by Saturday.

The militants killed about 50 people, including women and children -- and some were beheaded, Amani said. He added that 10 militants were killed and 12 were injured in the attack.

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said the government is planning an operation to recover the area from the militants.

The United Nations said it was investigating the report of the massacre.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mojahid rejected reports of the joint attack, calling the Islamic State its enemy and saying there are no IS activities in the region.

The demilitarized "Green Zone" in the capital of Kabul has been tightened in recent days following Islamic State attacks there.