At least six Afghans were killed and 70 others were injured on Wednesday when Taliban attackers stormed a court and surrounding buildings in the western town of Farah.

At least six Afghans were killed and 70 others were injured on Wednesday when Taliban attackers stormed a court and surrounding buildings in the western town of Farah.

"Our latest report shows that at least six people have been killed and 70 people have been wounded," Mohammad Akram Khpalwak, governor of Farah province, told AFP.

Agha Noor Kentos, police chief of Farah, said five police were among the wounded as ambulances returned to the scene to take other injured people to hospital.

"At around 8:00 am (0330 GMT) five attackers riding in two military-style vehicles drove to the provincial court building, one (vehicle) detonated at the gate and three attackers entered the building," Kentos told AFP.

"One is still resisting and five security forces have been wounded," he said, adding the target could have been the court or government buildings nearby.

At least four other militants who launched the bomb and shooting attack also died in the assault, which comes as NATO winds down its combat mission in the war-torn country by the end of next year.

Two attackers died when they detonated a car bomb at the gate of the provincial court building, two were shot by security forces and another man was still alive, with a firefight still ongoing hours after the assault began.