Militants Storm Eastern Afghan District

Posted June 29th, 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
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Officials in eastern Afghanistan say militants, including suicide bombers, stormed a remote district early Friday sparking a gunbattle that killed 10 people.

The attack took place in the Kamdesh district of Nuristan province.

Provincial officials say at least 17 militants attacked a compound that housed government offices and residences. The dead included four civilians and six security personnel. The wife of a local police officer was among those killed.

Afghan authorities say the nearly 12-hour gunfight ended when security forces killed all of the attackers.

Officials said NATO provided air support to Afghan forces battling the militants.

Nuristan's Kamdesh district borders Pakistan's northwest. The porous Afghan-Pakistani border is a known safe haven for Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants who often move freely between the two countries.

Recent attacks in Afghanistan have raised concerns of whether Afghan forces will be prepared to take over security responsibility of the entire country once foreign combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014.