Authorities say guards killed 3 Afghan officials

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan officials say three top Kandahar province officials have been killed by their own guards in an attack at a security meeting that also wounded two U.S. troops.

A Taliban spokesman who claimed responsibility for the attack tells the Associated Press that U.S. Gen. Scott Miller, commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, was the target. NATO officials say Miller escaped unharmed.

Kandahar’s deputy provincial governor Agha Lala Dastageri said powerful provincial police chief Abdul Razik and the province’s intelligence chief Abdul Mohmin died immediately in the attack and provincial governor Zalmay Wesa died of his injuries at a hospital.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi took responsibility for the attack. He too said all three officials were killed.

The security meeting inside the sprawling provincial governor’s residence was being held ahead of Saturday’s parliamentary elections.