6 Afghan police killed in attack on headquarters
DASTARDLY STRIKE It took the security forces most day to kill the last gunmen
At least six police were killed and dozens of people wounded when as many as six gunmen and a suicide bomber attacked a police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said.
It took Afghan security forces most of the day to kill the last gunmen, who had barricaded themselves in a kitchen in the compound, according to police.
The attack, claimed by the Taliban, began around 6:30 am when one bomber detonated a car packed with explosives at the gate of the police headquarters in Gardez city, capital of Paktia province, said Najib Danish, a spokesman for the interior ministry. Around six attackers stormed the gate after the blast, with at least two quickly killed by police. The others held out against Afghan special forces that had responded to the attack, he said. Paktia police chief Toryalai Abdani put the toll at six police killed and 12 wounded. Doctors at the city hospital said they had received the bodies of at least five police, as well as at least 30 wounded people, including 21 civilians.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said more than 100 police were killed and wounded. The group often exaggerates casualty numbers in attacks against government targets and security forces. Groups like the Taliban and Islamic State have recently launched a string of attacks across Afghanistan.