Several killed, wounded in attack on police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan

Taliban militants have staged a deadly two-phase attack on a police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan.

Najib Danish, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said on Sunday that the attack on the police headquarters in Gardez City, the capital of Paktia Province, had started at around 6:30 am local time (0200 GMT).

A Taliban militant detonated a explosives planted in a car at the gate of the police headquarters, he said, adding that, after the explosion, which killed the assailant himself, four more attackers stormed the headquarters.

Afghan special forces were deployed to help the police counter the attack, Danish said.

However, two police officers were killed and five others were wounded, according to the Afghan official.

Other reports said at least five Afghan police officers were killed and at least 30 people, including 20 civilians, were wounded in the attack.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, claimed the attack left more than 100 police killed and wounded.

Afghanistan is rife with violence, and attacks by Taliban militants, and more recently by Daesh terrorists, frequently occur in the country.

This is despite the presence of thousands of US-led forces, who have been in Afghanistan since an invasion in 2001. That invasion toppled a Taliban regime in the country.