At least 10 people died on Thursday when a group ofTaliban insurgents wearing military uniforms mounted a six-hour gun and grenade siege on a court complex in northern Afghanistan, in an assault highlighting the country's fragile security situation.
The attack in the usually tranquil city of Mazar-i-Sharif occurred just before the start of the Taliban's traditional spring offensive, set to be the first fighting season when Afghan security forces battle insurgents without full NATO support.