Four days of clashes in western Afghanistan between two rival Taliban groups have left at least 200 militants dead, an official said on Thursday.

Several other Taliban members, as well as civilians, have been wounded in the fight that erupted since Monday in the Shindand District of Herat province, said Jilani Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

The casualty figures could not be independently verified.

Farhad accused both sides of looting houses and killing civilians in areas the other side previously controlled.

A ceasefire agreed to by rival Taliban factions in January had been repeatedly broken in recent days.

Shindand district was the sight last year of at least two other major firefights between rival Taliban groups.