Afghan army soldiers take part in a military operation against Taliban militants in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, Dec. 25, 2019. Afghan government forces stormed a Taliban hideout in Khan Abad district of the northern Kunduz province on Thursday, killing five insurgents and wounding three others, a local police commander Sarfaraz Khan said. (Photo by Ajmal Kakar/Xinhua)

The Taliban on Monday denied agreeing to any cease-fire in ­Afghanistan after rumors swirled of a potential deal that would see a reduction in fighting after more than 18 years of war.

The statement from the insurgents comes as local and international forces brace for another bloody winter amid renewed US-Taliban talks, after US President Donald Trump called off the negotiations earlier this year over insurgent attacks.

"In the past few days, some media have been releasing untrue reports about a cease-fire... The fact is that, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has no cease-fire plans," the Taliban said.

The US and the Afghan government in Kabul have long called for a cease-fire with the Taliban, including during the year of negotiations between Washington and the Taliban that were abruptly called off by Trump in September.

However, the militants have repeatedly stated that any potential truce will only be ironed out after US troops withdraw from the country. 

The US-Taliban talks, held mainly in Doha, Qatar were aimed at allowing Washington to begin withdrawing troops in return for various security guarantees. 

They were on the brink of a deal when Trump abandoned the effort in September, citing Taliban violence. 

Negotiations have since restarted in Doha, but were ­earlier this month put on a "pause."

Trump is looking to slash the troop presence in Afghanistan, potentially even before a deal between Washington and the Taliban is cemented.

Meanwhile deadly bouts of fighting continue, with tens of thousands of Afghan security forces killed since they inherited combat operations from NATO at the end of 2014.

Every day Afghans also continue to bear the brunt of the bloody conflict. 

Last week the UN said the country had passed a grim milestone this year, with more than 100,000 Afghan civilians killed or wounded over the past decade.