Kabul, July 25: Afghanistan’s southeastern city of Khost ranged with multiple explosions followed by heavy gunfire from separate locations, residents and locals officials said.
There were mulitiple explosions and then exchange of fire in Khost City, capital of the province having the same name, on Saturday afternoon.
Without being able to give information about casualties among Afghan officials, civilians or the attackers, a spokesman for the Afghan Defence Ministry said the militants had been surrounded by the security forces.
General Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the ministry, said the attackers were armed with Ak-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled-grenades and hand-grenades and there was exchange of fire at more than one locations in the city.
Residents said there were more than one explosions followed by gunfire in Khost City.
It is not known the explosion were suicide attacks or caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the most lethal weapon used by militants against foreign and local troops in Afghanistan.
Some officials in Khost province on condition of anonymity said four suicide bombers tried to enter office of the chief police officer in the city. They detonated themselves when stopped by the police guards.
The security official said gunfire was reported from the police office, local courts and two more areas in the city. He said a shoot out in the city was continued.
Meanwhile, an international troops’ soldier was killed in a landmine blast in southern Afghanistan on Saturday.
A statement from ISAF headquarters in Kabul said the soldier died today in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device (IED). The statement did not mention name and nationality of the soldier and exact location of the incident.
–Agencies–