Taliban insurgents have killed 27 members of the Afghan security forces, police and government officials said on Monday, as a peace effort brokered by the United States struggles to get off the ground.

At least 29 members of the Afghan security forces have been killed in Taliban attacks that followed air and ground assaults by government forces on the Islamist group at the weekend.

Up to 10 Taliban militants and seven Afghan security personnel have been killed, following a fierce clash in the country's northern Sari Pul province, army spokesman in the region Abdul Hadi Jamal said Sunday.