Afghan forces kill 3 attackers in battle in south

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — It began with a rattle of gunfire when insurgents attacked a former intelligence headquarters in this southern Afghan city. For more than an hour Wednesday, automatic weapons and machine gun fire resounded as police and commandos hunted down the three attackers.

The battle, witnessed by The Associated Press, provided a rare firsthand glimpse of Afghan security forces in action without international support. The troops showed some weaknesses — lack of equipment and glitches in coordination — but eventually emerged victorious, killing the insurgents.