An Afghan boy stands inside a damaged mosque at the site of an attack at a US military airbase in Bagram, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 11, 2019. (Photo: CGTN)

The Taliban Monday denied agreeing to any ceasefire in Afghanistan after rumors swirled of a potential deal that would see a reduction in fighting after more than 18 years of war.

"In the past few days, some media have been releasing untrue reports about a ceasefire...The fact is that, no ceasefire plans," the Taliban said.

At least 17 pro-government local militiamen were killed and four others wounded when they fought back against Taliban militants in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province a few days ago.

"Taliban militants stormed a camp of local uprising fighters in Khwaja Bahawoddin district overnight Saturday. The local uprising fighters fought back the attackers and some 10 militants were also killed during the fighting," spokesman Mohammad Jawad Hijri said.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Taliban militants have intensified attacks in Afghanistan following a pause in peace talks between the armed group and the US delegation in Qatar's capital Doha

The US and the Afghan government in Kabul have long called for a ceasefire with the Taliban.

The marathon talks initiated between the US and the Taliban outfit in October 2018 in Doha to find a negotiated settlement for Afghanistan's lingering crisis broke down in early September this year following a Taliban-linked car bomb that killed 10 people including a US soldier in Kabul.

The talks resumed on December 7 but were again suspended in the wake of a deadly truck bomb that targeted the main US military base in Bagram, 50 km north of Kabul.