Attack on British Council compound in Kabul kills nine

[dutchman]

Gunmen have stormed the British Council office in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing at least nine people and taking over the compound for hours.



A suicide car bomb destroyed the compound wall and a number of heavily armed men forced their way inside.

After several hours of gunfire and blasts, the UK's ambassador in Kabul said all the gunmen had been killed.

The Taliban said the attack marked the anniversary of Afghanistan's independence from the UK in 1919.

At least eight Afghan policemen and a foreign security official - reportedly a New Zealand special services soldier - were killed, Afghan authorities said.



Isaf confirmed that one of its troops had been killed during the operation without giving further details about the soldier's nationality, AFP reports.

The UK Foreign Office said all British citizens were "shaken but well" after being safely removed from the building.

Two British female teachers were among four residents of the compound who took refuge in a reinforced safe room during the attack, the British Council said.

British ambassador William Patey said there were injuries among the Nepalese ex-Gurkha soldiers guarding the compound, but none had died, AFP reported.