Afghanistan Aid Compound Attacked by Taliban

Six suicide bombers took an American aid compound by storm early morning on Friday, killing at least four people before they died in a six-hour battle. The attack took place at a compound for Development Alternatives Inc., a U.S.-based global consultant company contracted by the United States Agency for International Development. The Taliban have taken credit for the violence, which began at 3 a.m. with the explosion of a car bomb at the compound's gate. The remaining five bombers rushed into the building and began firing rifles. One Afghan police officer was killed, and 23 other people were wounded. Afghan forces rescued six trapped American employees and four security guards. Foreigners are among the dead, including a German and a Filipino. It is unclear if the bombers died during the fight or if they blew themselves up. NATO said in a statement that the attack “was an attempt to intimidate Afghans and members of the international community trying to improve the lives of all Afghans.”