Four members of the Public Protection Forces were killed after a group of gunmen attacked their outpost on the outskirts of Kabul city on Thursday evening. 

Kabul police and the Public Protection Forces headquarters have not confirmed the causalities. 

TOLOnews reporter Karim Amini visited the area on Friday. He said the security outpost is located on a hillside and it has been heavily damaged in the attack. 

Local residents said the militants surrounded the outpost from all sides and fought against the soldiers for more than one hour until they all were killed. 

“People were sleeping that we heard the sound of rocket firing and gunfire and then we saw that the outpost was attacked,” said Gulab Khan, a eyewitness. 

“They had torches. They came down, fought with security forces and then set on fire the outpost and left the area,” said Faridullah, a eyewitness. 

“They poured fuel on the soldiers’ bodies and burned them,” said Kabir Khan, a resident of the area. 

The outpost is only a few kilometers away from the Pul-e-Charkhi security belt, but the eyewitnesses said while the fights continued for over an hour, no reinforcement was sent to the area. 

“Security forces stationed in the security belt should have hurried for saving their friends’ lives without the permission of their commander,” said Agha Gul, a local resident. 

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Officials from the Ministry of Interior said the Public Protection Forces are maintaining security of nearly 200 projects being implemented by the private sector, government and the international organizations.