KABUL, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) evicted Taliban militants and retook control of a district in the country's northern Baghlan province overnight, Afghan Defense Ministry said Thursday.

"Following an ongoing military operation in Baghlan province, the ANDSF freed Dahana-i-Ghori district from Taliban Wednesday night, driving out Taliban from the district center," the ministry said in a statement.

Taliban militants overran the district three years ago, according to the statement.

Without providing details, the statement said that heavy casualties were inflicted to the militants, adding the military operation will continue in Baghlan before the province cleared from militants.

A search operation was underway on the outskirts of the district in the western part of Baghlan.

The province, about 160 km north of the country's capital of Kabul, has been the scene of heavy clashes and fighting for long.

Rule of law will return to the district as government offices and local police station will reopen after the raid, according to the statement.

The Afghan security forces have beefed up security operations against militants recently as the Taliban militants have been attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions in countryside.

The militant group has not made comments on the report yet.