Suspected Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen attacked a bank in the Helmand province of Afghanistan on Wednesday and engaged in a gun battle with the security forces for several hours.
Six attackers, four security guards and three civilians were killed in the attack, as per reports.
A massive blast occurred in front of the Kabul Bank in Lashkargah, on Wednesday, killing at least ten people, Afghanistan's Pajhwok News reported.
"There were four Taliban [fighters], one of them detonated his explosives and three are fighting with security forces," Farid Ahmad Obaid, the spokesman for Helmand's police chief told Reuters.
Several attackers had stormed into the branch of Kabul Bank, government officials told Al Jazeera.
Several police officials had visited the bank to collect their salaries, and this is said to be the motive behind the attack.
The attack came on a day when Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif visited Kabul on Wednesday to discuss the alleged sanctuaries for Pakistan Taliban in Afghanistan.
Reports have emerged stating that the Peshawar school attack was planned by the Mullah Fazlullah group in Afghanistan.
The Pakistan Taliban attacked a school in Peshawar on Tuesday and killed 132 children. On Monday, a gunman had held several people at a Sydney cafe hostage, killing two.
Helmand blast updates: the bombers targeted Kabul bank after army soldiers visited to collect their salaries - stand off underway.
— Esmatullah Kohsar (@EKohsar) December 17, 2014
BREAKING: attackers took several civilians hostage inside Kabul Bank branch in Helmand: VIA @AnisaShaheed1 — Esmatullah Kohsar (@EKohsar) December 17, 2014
