Three attackers who took hostages at Care International’s compound in Kabul were killed early today after an 11-hour siege, the Afghan Interior Ministry said.

Correcting an earlier statement in which it said one civilian had been killed, it said no civilians had died. A spokesperson also said earlier that 42 people including 10 foreigners had been rescued.

Militants had holed themselves up in the Care International building in the centre of Kabul after staging a suicide bombing in front of it just after 11pm local time yesterday.

The bomber targeted a busy shopping area open late ahead of the Aidiladha holiday. Afghan security forces began exchanging gunfire with the militants shortly afterwards.

Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdulllah Abdullah denounced the attack.

“I strongly condemn the heinous attack by coward terrorists in Shahr-e-Naw Kabul. This was an act against religion, human faith & humanity,” he wrote on Twitter.

The late-night incident came after militants carried out two other bombings in Kabul yesterday in which at least another 24 people, including six members of the Afghan security forces, were killed.

Security forces had rushed to the scene of the first bombing which came as office workers were returning home for the day. This was followed by another blast when a suicide bomber blew himself up among the crowd that had gathered to assist the injured.

Wahidullah Majroh, a spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Health, said at least 91 others were injured, and some were in a critical condition.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the twin bombing, adding that it had killed tens of soldiers and officers in its recent efforts to damage the security elite in Kabul.

Sixteen people were killed last month and 39 others were injured in another Taliban attack on the American University of Afghanistan.

In April, 64 people were killed and more than 300 others were wounded after the Taliban attacked a company which provides security for Afghanistan’s elite.

- dpa