The four Taliban gunmen involved in the daring night-time raid on the embassy district of Sherpur, Kabul last Friday are dead, according to Afghan police officials.

Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid said four Afghan policemen, two Spanish guards and a civilian were also killed in the firefight that began at around 6PM (13:30 GMT) last Friday in the capital after Taliban suicide fighters detonated a car bomb and attacked a guest house attached to the Spanish embassy. 

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The police had earlier told the press that seven Taliban fighters were involved in the attack.  They later corrected the claim.

Mujahid said one of the attackers had detonated a bomb at the entrance of the guest house, causing an explosion that sent a tremor across the neighborhood. The attacker died in the explosion, but the blast allowed the three other fighters to gain entry into the building. 

The Taliban fighters fired randomly at nearby houses, according to reports.

The ensuing gunfight saw Afghan police officers take positions around the guest house.  The law enforcers were supported by big, heavily armored gun-trucks, which were seen moving into the neighborhood shortly after the initial blast.  The BBC reports that at least nine other people were injured during the siege.    

"The operation took time because we wanted to rescue the people trapped in surrounding buildings and we had to move cautiously and in a proper tactical manner," Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi told Reuters. 

Police and security personnel rescued some 47 Afghans and foreigners from the nearby buildings.

Several embassies and guest houses for diplomatic personnel are situated in Kabul's Sherpur district, which is among the most heavily guarded sectors in the city.  It is yet unclear whether the attack was specifically intended for Spanish diplomatic personnel.

The Taliban assault on Sherpur is the latest in a string of audacious high-profile attacks conducted by the group over the past few months.  Some 50 people were killed when Taliban fighters stormed Kandahar airport recently.

TagsKabul, Afghanistan, Afghan police, Spain, Spanish embassy, suicide bombing, taliban attack, Taliban insurgents