1st LD: 6 killed in Taliban attack on district center in S. Afghanistan

At least five militants and one Afghan army soldier were killed after Taliban attacked government buildings in a district of the southern Kandahar province on Thursday, an official said.

"The attack started at around 8:00 a.m. local time (0330 GMT) after one militant set off a car bomb near an army base in Arghandab district," provincial police spokesman Zia Durani told Xinhua.

"Four militants armed with suicide jackets and guns tried to assault the base and the neighboring district police station," he said.

The security forces responded to the attack and killed four assailants before they approached the buildings, he said.

Three army soldiers were also wounded by blast and ensuing clash in the district north of the provincial capital of Kandahar city, according to Durani.

The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the attack. Endit