Three foreigners killed in Afghanistan

KUNDUZ - Three foreign workers were killed Friday in northern Afghanistan when Taliban suicide bombers attacked a US aid contractor, a provincial governor said.

“A German, a British and a Filipino were killed in the suicide attacks and firefight with the Taliban,” Kunduz Governor Mohammad Omar said.

At least six militants equipped with suicide vests, car bombs and automatic rifles attacked a compound occupied by Development Alternatives Inc in Kunduz city, capital of Kunduz province.

An attacker detonated a car bomb at the gate of the compound while a second bomber set off his suicide vest inside the compound, killing and injuring security forces and company employees, Omar said.

He said all six militants were killed either by their own bombs or by Afghan and US forces.

One Afghan police officer and a private security guard were also killed in the six-hour battle while 22 other people, including civilians and security guards, were injured.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said dozens of security forces, including foreign nationals, were killed in the attack, but Taliban casualty claims are considered unreliable.