3rd LD Writethru: Suicide attack, gun battle kill 5, wound 9 in W. Afghanistan

Suicide bombing and gun battle claimed the lives of five people and injured nine others in Shindand district of western Afghanistan's Herat province on Thursday, a police official said.

"A terrorist detonated his explosive-laden vehicle closed to a base of the national army in Shindand district which followed by gunshots had killed five people including two soldiers and injured nine others including three soldiers," the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi, police spokesman in the province in talks with Xinhua confirmed the incident and said the terrorists planted explosive device in a rickshaw and detonated it closed a checkpoint of the national army, which inflicted casualties.

However, spokesman for Herat provincial government, Jilani Farhad in talks with media confirmed the attack and without providing details stated that the attackers had been killed and situation is under control.

He also blamed the enemies of peace, a reference to the Taliban for organizing the attack. However, the armed outfit has yet to make comment.

Shindand, a former stronghold of Taliban, has been the scene of the persistent militancy over the past several years. Enditem