Lawmakers from Maidan Wardak province said on Sunday, during a Wolesi Jirga session, that Taliban insurgents stormed as many as 16 check posts and made off with military hardware, weapons and ammunition.

MPs said the attacks took place against Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) check posts in Jalrez district of the province.

However, APPF soldiers claim 13 check posts were captured and that they have been under siege for three days. They said the check posts fell to the Taliban on Friday and on Saturday.

The APPF soldiers told TOLOnews that no reinforcements have arrived in the area but they said a number of airstrikes were carried out on Sunday targeting the insurgents.

The defense ministry spokesman meanwhile said it has deployed Commandos and Special Forces to the area to retake the check posts.

Defense experts have accused the Taliban of exploiting government’s ceasefire that was extended for 10 days after the successful Eid-ul-Fitr truce.

The Presidential Palace in turn said the ceasefire is what the Afghan nation wants.

“The president has stressed the need for appropriate management of the ceasefire; the president has clearly stated that we will not tolerate the dangers which will be posed during the truce days; our security and defense forces are on red alert to retaliate to any sort of hostile move,” said President Ashraf Ghani’s deputy spokesman Shahhussain Murtazawi.

Although Ghani extended the government’s unilateral truce with the Taliban after Eid-ul-Fitr, the Taliban failed to do the same and instead ramped up attacks across the country.

Meanwhile reports from Kunduz province indicate that the Afghan security forces resumed their military operation code named Toofan-e-13 against the Taliban after the group defied the truce and carried out attacks.

“The security forces have launched an operation code name Toofan-e-13 in Imam Sahib district, the operation is aimed at clearing areas which have been under the control of the opponents,” said Kunduz police department spokesman Enaamuddin Rahmani.

Security officials have said that battles between the Taliban and the security forces are ongoing in at least ten provinces and that both sides have sustained heavy casualties.