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Four Taliban militants killed in attack on Kabul guesthouse

There were no reported civilian or military casualties.

By Andrew V. Pestano
Afghanistan's security forces enlists about 350,000 people and frequently engages with the Taliban, which is waging violent insurgency. File Photo by Enayat Asadi/UPI
Afghanistan's security forces enlists about 350,000 people and frequently engages with the Taliban, which is waging violent insurgency. File Photo by Enayat Asadi/UPI | License Photo

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 27 (UPI) -- Four Taliban militants were killed after launching an overnight attack on a guesthouse in the diplomatic neighborhood of Wazir Akbar Khan in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The attack began Tuesday night and lasted for at least six hours in the neighborhood that houses embassies and foreign missions. Police waited until daylight to identify and attack their targets.

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At dawn, a round of sustained gunfire and explosions ended the hours-long standoff. Residents of the area reported hearing heavy gunfire and at least 20 explosions, matching the 20 hand grenades found on the scene.

The gunmen, including one suicide bomber who apparently detonated at the start of the attack, were killed before reaching their target, the Rabbani Guesthouse, formerly known as the Heetal guesthouse -- also attacked by the Taliban in December 2009.

Gunmen attempted to break into the Rabbani Guesthouse by launching a rocket propelled grenade at its front gate, but the heavy steel of the gate was only partly damaged and denied entry to the militants.

There were no reported civilian or military casualties.

"Four attackers who had one RPG launcher, three AK-47s and one grenade launcher were killed in Wazir Akbar Khan," deputy interior minister Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said.

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