KABUL — Five Taliban militants who were involved in the attack on the election commission headquarters on Saturday have been killed, Afghan's Deputy Interior Minister told NBC News.
A SWAT team took control of the Independent Election Commission compound, ending the siege of the building. Two police officers sustained injuries, but there were no fatalities of civilians.
Four of the Taliban militants who attacked the headquarters were disguised wearing women's burqas when they launched the assault, police said.
Some of the militants were still fighting government forces who had surrounded the election commission building and a neighboring structure where the attackers had holed up, Police Chief Hafiz Khan told NBC News. The Taliban have pledged to create chaos before the upcoming presidential election on April 5.
In a series of tweets, a Taliban spokesman claimed the group destroyed the main gate at the headquarters and entered the building. Police earlier denied that the militants had gained entrance.