Eight killed in Afghan Taliban attacks

Kabul: At least eight people were killed on Wednesday after Taliban militants attacked government offices in Afghanistan`s Helmand province, an official said.

The gunbattle started at 6.00 a.m. in Gereshk district, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Those killed were seven attackers and one policeman," said a senior provincial security official.

The militants seized a building and fired on a district governor office, a police station and the nearby educational department in the key district located in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah.

"The initial information said 10 men armed with weapons and suicide jackets were involved in the attack. They arrived by vehicles and took position in separate locations in the district before security forces push them back," the official said.

The militants also attacked several security checkpoints in outer parts of the district. They tried to take control of the buildings and overrun the district, a security official said.