Taliban militants attacked on Thursday a district in Afghanistans Ghazni province near the provincial capital in a pre-dawn raid that left more than a dozen people, including the districts governor dead. Ghaznis Khawaja Omari district was considered one of the provinces safest districts. The militants used a ladder to climb into the district government compound in the early hours of Thursday, said Ramazan Ali Mohseni, deputy police chief in Ghazni. The militants killed district governor Ali Dost Shams, his bodyguards, seven police officers and five government intelligence agents, he said. The Taliban then torched the district headquarters, he said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement 20 police officers were killed in the attack. "The attack is over and the district is under the control of Afghan security forces after reinforcement forces rushed to the scene following the Taliban attack," Mohseni added. Fighting in Afghanistan traditionally increases in the spring when warmer weather melts snow blocking mountain passes, increasing the mobility of the insurgents. The Taliban usually announce the launch of a spring offensive in April. They are under pressure to take up President Ashraf Ghanis offer of peace talks but so far they have not responded directly to the proposal.