阿富汗官员说， 11名自杀式炸弹杀手袭击东部城市霍斯特政府大楼，在爆炸和随后的枪战中造成至少9人死亡。另有16人在星期二早上攻击开始时受伤，袭击者攻击了首长办公室和市政大楼。歹徒在那里还劫持了几名人质。官方说，美军和阿富汗军队随后冲进大楼，打死了三名叛乱分子，并安然无恙地救出了人质。
塔利班已宣称对这些袭击负责，并说他们派出了包括自杀式炸弹袭击者在内的30名人员对霍斯特市发动攻击。一个大型美军基地就建在霍斯特市。与此同时，美军指责塔利班激进分子在阿富汗东部的袭击中使用可以造成严重烧伤的白磷弹化学武器。
美军星期一公布的解密文件显示，在至少38个案例中，激进分子或是在战斗中使用了白磷弹，或是在他们的武器库中发现了白磷弹。
Officials in Afghanistan say 11 suicide bombers attacked government buildings in the eastern town of Khost, killing at least nine people in the blasts and the gunbattles that followed. Another 16 people were wounded in the assault that began Tuesday morning when attackers struck the governor’s office and a municipal building. Assailants there took several hostages. Officials say U.S. and Afghan forces later stormed the building, where they killed three insurgents and rescued the hostages unharmed.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility, saying it sent 30 attackers, including suicide bombers, to strike the town. A large U.S. military base is located in Khost. In other news, the U.S. military has accused the Taliban of using white phosphorus, which causes chemical burns, in attacks in eastern Afghanistan.
The U.S. military on Monday declassified documents showing at least 38 instances in which militants used white phosphorus in attacks or white phosphorus weapons were found in stockpiles.