TALUQAN, Afghanistan, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Sixteen Afghan Border Police personnel were killed after Taliban attacked their outpost in the country's northern province of Takhar early on Thursday, a spokesman for the provincial government said.

The attack occurred roughly at 03:00 a.m. local time Thursday after Taliban advanced the targeted post from several directions in a remote area of Chah Aab district near the border with Tajikistan, spokesman Abdul Khalil Asir told Xinhua.

One policeman was injured and six police went missing after the clash and the outpost was overrun by the militants, he said.

An investigation was launched into the incident, the official added. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Afghan security forces' casualties have risen since the beginning of 2015 when Afghan soldiers and police assumed full responsibilities of security from the U.S. and NATO troops.