This Article is From Apr 03, 2013

Taliban attack Afghan governor's compound

Kabul: A huge explosion ripped through a governor's compound, followed by a gunbattle with Taliban gunmen today in western Afghanistan, officials said.

The attack occurred in the capital of Farah province, which is in a volatile area near the Iranian border. Intensive gunfire lasted about 20 minutes after the explosion, said Nazir Khan Khedmat, a provincial council member who was inside the building when the attack began.

Deputy provincial governor Yonus Rasouli said the explosion damaged many government buildings in the area. He said there were casualties among civilians and security forces, but he had no reports of officials killed or wounded.

Security forces were still battling attackers holed up in a nearby building, he said.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack in a text message.

In other violence, Taliban gunmen attacked a local police patrol late Tuesday in the southeastern Paktika province and six insurgents were killed in the fighting, according to a statement from the governor's office. A roadside bomb then struck a police vehicle as it was leaving the area, killing four patrollers, it said.

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