Taliban fighters killed as many as seven Afghan commandos in an hours-long attack on an army outpost, a lawmaker and the defence ministry said Wednesday.

The assault comes as Kabul authorities accuse the insurgents of stepping up attacks against security forces in recent weeks, after violence dropped across much of the country following a three-day ceasefire announced in May. The Taliban raided the army outpost located in northwest Badhis province late Tuesday.

Badghis lawmaker Ziauddin Akazi said the insurgents attacked the Bala Murghab district outpost, triggering fierce fighting that lasted for about four hours. "Most of those killed were members of commando and special forces," Akazi said.

He said the attack came when a group of commandos and special forces travelled to the outpost from their base nearby. The ministry of defence said seven security personnel were killed and five were wounded in the attack. It said security forces later repelled the Taliban attack. The Taliban have not commented.

In a separate incident in the northern Jawzjan province on Tuesday evening, a roadside bomb ripped through a rickshaw and killed six civilians, the interior ministry said. Interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said the Taliban had placed the bomb on the road.