Five Taliban militants have been killed in an overnight battle when they tried to storm a police compound in Afghanistan’s eastern city of Jalalabad in an attack that began with a suicide car bomber driving into the facility’s gate.
Authorities say nine Afghan police were wounded by the car bomber.
Fazal Ahmad Shirzad, the police chief for Nangarhar Province, said that in addition to the suicide bomber, his officers shot dead four attackers and detained a fifth before the battle ended in the early morning hours of June 1.
Shirzad said police also seized AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and hand grenades from the attackers.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which began shortly before midnight on May 31 and lasted about 3 1/2 hours.
Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack was aimed at an “important meeting” inside the police compound.