Suicide attack kills 4 in Kabul, Taliban captures land in north

Taliban militants fighting the government have intensified their activities and in the latest offensives against the government facilities organized a suicide attack in the Afghan capital city Kabul, leaving at least four persons dead and having injured six others on Tuesday.
At least four people, including three foreigners, were killed and six others wounded in a suicide bombing near the Kabul airport on Tuesday morning, a police officer confirmed.
"Four persons including three foreign advisors to Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Counter-Narcotics were killed and six others got wounded in suicide attack this morning," the police officer told Xinhua but declined to be named, saying authorized officials would brief the media after investigation.
Meanwhile, Kabul police department in a statement released here hours after the incident confirmed the attack. "A suicide bomber riding an explosive-laden motorbike blew himself up at the gate of counter-narcotics department adjacent to foreign forces base, killing and injuring 10 persons including some foreigners," it said.
However, the statement didn't identify the nationalities of the victims, adding the attack occurred at 06:30 a.m. local time in Qasaba area, 15th police district and investigation has been initiated into the case.
Claiming responsibility for Tuesday's suicide bombing in Kabul, a purported Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed via telephone from an unknown location that over a dozen Afghan and foreigners were killed in the blast.
The diehard Taliban militants have been desperately fighting to grab land and strengthen their positions.
Taliban militants after three days of fierce fighting with security personnel have made headway and occupied land in Qaisar district of Faryab province 425 km northwest of Kabul on Monday, police said Tuesday.
"Taliban rebels attacked security check points in the western part of Qaisar district three days ago, which triggered heavy battle between the two sides. The militants after three days of fighting were able to grab Shakh area on Monday night," deputy to provincial police chief Mohammad Naeem Andarabi told newsmen.
He also said that 30 Taliban insurgents and nine security personnel had been killed and 21 others including 17 militants sustained injuries during the battle which lasted three days.
Meantime, the Taliban outfit in a statement posted on its website confirmed the clash in Qaisar, claiming that 10 insurgents were injured during three days of fighting, and that the security forces have lost the control of Shakh and Ghora areas to the Taliban after losing 26 personnel.