One of the insurgents blew himself up in front of the a USAID contractor agency (DAI) which killed one of the security guards and wounded three others and other five insurgents stormed the DAI compound, Kunduz police chief Rezaq Yaqoobi said.

Gunfire between two sides continued for seven hours and ended at about 1100 am (local time) after two militants inside the compound were killed.

Reports indicate that three foreign national from Germany, Philippines and believed to be a British were killed in the attack and several others were wounded which were taken to the German military hospital in this province.

A Taliban spokesman claimed the responsibility and said more than 50 foreigners were killed or wounded in this attack, a claim that was rejected by the Afghan officials.

Taliban attacks have increased remarkably in northern regions since NATO has opened up a new transit way for its supplies coming from Central Asia to Northern provinces of Afghanistan.  

Before that Gen. Josef Blotz, the spokesman for International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in a talk to La Specula.com expressed ISAF’s concern over the insurgency boost in northern Afghanistan and said ISAF plans to station more 4,000 to 4,500 fresh troops to the most vulnerable areas like Kunduz and Baghlan in order to disrupt the militancy.

In a separate incident, a joint Afghan and International forces captured the Taliban shadow governor of Now Zad district of southern Helmand province and killed dozens of Taliban fighters, ISAF officials told in Kabul.

“NATO troops captured the showdown governor of Taliban during an operation in Baghran district of Helmand province and killed 31 other Taliban fighters.” Brig. Gen. Josef Blotz , the spokesman for the International Security Assistance Forces.

The gun fire started after Taliban fighters engaged with troops with rocket propelled grenades and machine guns and they attempted to use improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) against the troops.

“Dozens of automatic weapons, RPG launchers and rounds, a machine gun, grenades and ammunition were discovered along with 20 pounds of wet opium.” ISAF officials added.

ISAF confirmed that air strike was used against the Taliban fighters in the area but they rejected if any civilians were killed and wounded in the air strike.

In a separate incident in eastern Afghanistan, three locals were killed and another was wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated near an ISAF outpost in Khas Kuner district of eastern Kuner province.

Meanwhile, joined Afghan and NATO forces detained a senior Taliban weapons facilitator and several other insurgents in southern Kandahar province.

“The facilitator operated in Kandahar city and Panjwai district, but he is believed to have ties to senior Taliban leadership in Helmand and Kandahar provinces.” ISAF press statement said.

In another operation in eastern Khost province, joined troops detained several suspected Taliban fighters in this province.

The incident took place in Sabari district of Khost province and troopers found automatic weapons, ammunition and grenades from detainees.

In eastern Afghanistan, believed to be a U.S. aircraft made an emergency landing in Nangarhar province on Thursday, ISAF press statement revealed.

According to ISAF, no one on board was killed or wounded and it was the mechanical problem caused the incident and Taliban fighters were not involved in it, but Taliban fighters claimed that they shot this chopper and killed all the passengers on board.