Four dead in Afghan suicide bomb and shootout

Four security guards have been killed in a suicide bomb attack and a shootout in northern Afghanistan. The guards worked for a German company.

Ten people including civilians and a police officer were wounded.

The raid targeted a guesthouse in the city of Kunduz where several foreigners were living. It is not known whether they were among the injured.

Once relatively peaceful, Kunduz province has witnessed an upsurge in violence over the past year. June saw at least two suicide attacks.

Insurgents have been seeking to extend their influence beyond their traditional heartland in the south.

The Taliban has said it carried out the latest attack, which involved three suicide bombers. One detonated a device at the gates of the house while the other two stormed the building. Police say they fought Afghan forces for two hours before setting off their own bombs.

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