KABUL, Afghanistan >> A senior Afghan official says the Pakistani Taliban have stepped up attacks on border posts between the two countries despite starting peace talks with Islamabad earlier this month.

Interior Minister Mohammad Umar Daudzai made the comment while responding to a question about security concerns in the eastern half of the country that borders Pakistan amid fears of violence during national elections this weekend.

He told reporters Thursday that most of the border checkpoints in several eastern provinces came under attack the night before. He says security forces were ready and the militants “were repulsed although some may have sneaked in, which we are dealing with.”

He says the Taliban on both sides of the border are trying to keep democracy and stability from flourishing in Afghanistan.