Suicide bombers attacked two government buildings in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, at least one of which while U.S. forces were inside. Officials said at least four people were killed.
The troops fired on the attacks, who did not manage to get inside the buildings in the city of Khost, according to Afghan officials, AP reported.
"There were a number of suicide attacks in two places, the office of the governor and the municipality of Khost province," Zemeri Bashary, the Interior Ministry's spokesman, said. He did not know how many suicide bombers or militants took part in the attack.
The provincial governor and the city's mayor were unharmed, and the bombers did not get inside the buildings, he said. An Afghan legislator from the province, Mirbat Khan Mangal, said at least four people were killed.
Mangal said he got his information from his brother, whom he said was wounded in the assault.
U.S. and Afghan forces were searching parts of the city for the remaining militants who were involved in the attack, Bashary said.
Chief Brian Naranjo, a U.S. military spokesman, said he had reports of a gunfire attack on the governor's compound in Khost but no other details. He could not confirm whether any U.S. forces had fired on militants.
A U.S. spokesman couldn't immediately confirm any details, including whether American troops were involved in the fighting. A large U.S. base, Camp Salerno, lies just outside Khost city.
Militants in recent months have carried out an increasing number of multi-pronged attacks that involved several attackers and multiple suicide bombers. Military analysts have said the increasing sophistication of attacks in Afghanistan is a result of training by Pakistani militants and al-Qaida fighters.
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