Afghan troops kill three would-be suicide bombers

Afghan troops shot dead three would-be suicide bombers who attempted to enter an office in an eastern city on Sunday to launch attacks on government targets.

The heavily armed insurgents had explosives strapped to their chests and were killed in a 10-minute gunfight with Afghan troops outside the mayor's office in Gardez, Paktia province, said Rohullah Samon, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

The insurgents arrived in a car laden with explosives, which were detonated during the gunbattle, without causing injury, Samon said, adding that one state employee was killed in the crossfire. They had planned to use the office as a stage post to launch attacks on the governor's compound and other key buildings in the city from an elevated position, he added.

The attack in Gardez came a day after four suicide bombers targeted a compound housing an Afghan and US military/civilian reconstruction team inside Afghanistan's fiercely anti-Taliban Panjshir valley, killing two civilians.