KABUL: Taliban have torched office of the Radio Yawali Ghag (voice of unity) in a last nigh attack Sayed Abad district of the central Maidan Wardak province.

Police chief of the province Muhammad Hussain told Pajhwok Afghan News the district centre was attacked around 11:30pm last night.

The clash continued till 4:00am, said the police chief. He confirmed the burning of a local radio station Yawali Ghag which was funded by Salam Watandar Radio of the Internews.

He claimed four of the attackers were killed in the clash that continued for more than four hours while none of the police personnel were killed or injured. Taliban spokesman Zabeehullah Mujahid, on the other hand, said their men had seized the district for a few hours.

They relinquished control of the offices later.Mujahid claimed a radio stationed was torched and an arms depot was also destroyed besides inflicting 'heavy casualties' on the government forces. The attackers had taken away large number of arms and ammunitions and secret documents from the district, he added.

Hazratuddin, head of the Yawali Radio, told Pajhwok besides the radio station, the district centre also partially damaged in the last night attack. He said a body was found in front of the offices of the district. Police said he was a Taliban killed during the encounter.Spokesman for Maidan Wardak governor Abdul Wadood Pakhtoonzar confirmed the Taliban attack and burning of the radio station.

Afghanistan Independent Journalist Association (AIJA) has condemned the arson attack on the radio station and said they were investigating the incident. A statement from the Internews in Kabul said the radio was airing 10-hour transmissions on daily basis.

Quoting head of the Yawali Ghag Radio, the statement said the attackers set the station on fire after overpowering the security guards. Commenting on the arson attack, Director Internews Afghanistan Jan McArthur said: "This reflects increasing insurgent activity in the district of Syad Abad and in Afghanistan in general. This is the second partner station of Internews to be torched in one year." She said they would send a delegation in the area in a week to conduct an assessment. "We will also investigate 'repeater' options in this area to enable the community to have access to important local and national information via radio, without risking the lives of radio staff/volunteers, until the region is stable."