US doctors killed in Kabul

The security guard was wounded in Thursday's attack at the Cure International Hospital in western Kabul. The US Embassy in Kabul confirmed via Twitter that the three doctors killed were American.

The shooter was a member of the Afghan Police Protection Force assigned to guard the hospital, District Police Chief Hafiz Khan said.

"The incident happened at around 9:50 (5:20 UTC) this morning and attacker has been injured and detained by police. The motive behind this attack is not yet clear," the interior ministry said in a statement.

The attacker is now in custody and underwent surgery under heavy police guard, said health ministry spokesman Kanishka Bektash Torkystani. It is unclear how the shooter was wounded.

"Five doctors had entered the compound of the hospital and were walking toward the building when the guard open fire on them," Torkystani said. "Three foreign doctors were killed and two other doctors were wounded.

Cure International Hospital specializes in child and maternity health. The hospital confirmed Thursday's attack, but provided no further details.

Attacks target foreigners

Afghanistan, and in particular Kabul, has seen a streak of deadly violence against foreign civilians in 2014, including an attack on a Lebanese restaurant that killed 21 people, an attack on a luxury hotel and the daylight shooting of a Swedish radio journalist.

Thursday's hospital attack is also the second "insider attack" by a member of Afghan security forces targeting foreigners. Earlier this month, Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus was shot dead by a police commander in the eastern province of Khost while sitting in the back of a car. Her colleague, reporter Kathy Gannon, was badly wounded.

The unrest came as Afghanistan staged its April 5 presidential election. Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah leads the vote ahead of main rival Ashraf Ghani with half the votes counted. Preliminary results are due to be released on Saturday.

dr/hc (AFP, Reuters, AP, dpa)