Afghan officials say attack on ministry was repelled

Reporting from KABUL, Afghanistan â€”  A suicide bomber struck outside the Afghan Interior Ministry on Wednesday, allowing several gunmen to pass through an outer gate where they traded fire with security forces, who eventually killed the attackers, officials said.

Gen. Daud Amin, the Kabul police chief, said seven attackers were killed and that cleanup operations were underway. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said one policeman was killed and five were wounded. Danish said the attackers were wearing military uniforms.

It appeared to be a rare victory for Afghan security forces, who have struggled to secure the capital in recent months. The Taliban and a local Islamic State affiliate have carried out a wave of attacks, mainly targeting security forces and the country’s Shiite minority, that have killed hundreds of people. Both groups have also expanded their footprint in the countryside.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked a district headquarters in the northern Takhar province, killing five members of the security forces, according to provincial police spokesman Khalil Asir. He said three civilians were wounded in the battle, which was still underway. He said 10 insurgents were killed.

In the eastern Logar province, Taliban suicide bombers attacked a police station, killing at least three police officers.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks in both provinces.

In the southern city of Kandahar, a roadside bomb killed three people and wounded an additional 13, said Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor. He said the victims included mechanics who had been contracted to repair Afghan army vehicles. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.