Militants attack airport in eastern Afghanistan

JALALABAD (Xinhua) - Casualties were feared Saturday night as militants attacked an airport in Jalalabad city, the provincial capital of eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, sources said.  

The attack began at around 9 p.m. local time when three to four militants launched a coordinated attack on the backside gate of the facility, a security source told Xinhua, adding that a NATO base is also located there.

"Two explosions took place. The gunfight is ended and all the militants are killed. The security forces guarding the gate were unhurt," the source said.

Shortly after the attack, a Taliban insurgent group spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed the responsibility  for the incident.  

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since militants launched an annual rebel offensive against Afghan security forces and more than 51,000 NATO-led troops stationed in the country earlier this month.

The war-torn country is due to take over the responsibility for its own security from foreign troops by the end of the year.