At least five policemen were killed while 15 others, including five civilians, were wounded after five suicide bombers attacked a police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack happened around 6:30 am when one of the bombers detonated a car filled with explosives at the gate of the police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan's Gardez city, the capital of Paktia province, Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish was quoted by Reuters as saying.
The car bomb was used to open the way for other attackers to enter the police headquarters compound. Two attackers were immediately killed by the Afghan forces while one attacker is absconding.
"The first attacker blew up his vehicle at the entrance to the headquarters, opening the way for two others who opened fire on security forces, and another suicide bomber was shot dead," Regional Police Commander Asadullah Shirzad was quoted by AFP as saying. He said one of the attackers was still holding out.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted by Reuters as saying that over 100 policemen were killed or wounded. The group often reports an exaggerated number of casualties in attacks against government targets and security forces.
The Taliban and the Islamic State group have carried out a string of attacks in Afghanistan over the last few weeks. The ISIS took responsibility for an attack on a mosque in Kabul on Thursday. On May 31, at least 80 people were killed and 350 others wounded in a "car bomb" explosion that took place in the diplomatic district of Kabul.
he police headquarters
