Taliban suicide bombings, gun battle claim 7 lives including 5 attackers in S. Afghanistan

Seven people including five armed insurgents were killed as Taliban conducted a suicide attack on a base of the Border Police Force in the border town of Spin Boldak, Kandahar province on Monday, police said.

"A group of Taliban terrorists attacked a base of the battalion of Border Police Force in Spin Boldak district at around 1:15 p.m. local time today, triggering a gun battle which lasted around 30 minutes during which all the five attacker were killed," provincial police spokesman Zia Durrani told Xinhua.

Two personnel of the Border Police Force also lost their lives in the suicide bombings and firefight, the police spokesman said, adding that at least two blasts, presumably suicide bombings rocked the area.

Taliban, in an online statement, claimed of responsibility for the deadly attack, claiming that massive suicide bombings of Taliban fighters against a battalion of Border Police Force in Spin Boldak district had left more than 20 security personnel dead, a claim spurned by officials as baseless.

Kandahar police spokesman Zia Durani in talks with Xinhua confirmed that only five attackers and two police personnel were killed in the blasts and firefight.

Spokesman for Kandahar provincial government Samim Khapalwak also rejected Taliban's claim as mere propaganda, saying all the five attackers were killed in less than 30 minutes.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since April 2015 when the militant group launched its annual spring offensive in the conflict-ridden Afghanistan.

Kandahar, the birthplace of Taliban and the neighboring Helmand province are notorious for growing poppy and militancy over the past decade.

Taliban militants have speeded up activities amid the ongoing regional efforts to bring Taliban fighters into negotiating table with Afghan government.

The first and second round of the four-nation talks which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States have been held in Islamabad and Kabul respectively and the third round of the quadrilateral meeting is scheduled for Feb. 6 in Pakistan to work out a roadmap to bring Taliban to negotiating table with Kabul.

Kandahar police chief Abdul Razeq told Xinhua on Sunday that the Taliban by staying away from the proposed talks would regroup to intensify attacks in the coming spring and summer.