President Ashraf Ghani in a statement on Sunday condemned the Taliban’s bombings in the southern province of Kandahar that killed at least 11 people, eight of them the employees of the provincial office of the Independent Election Commission.

The attack was carried out by four attackers who drove explosive-laden Humvees, targeting the district governor’s compound in Maroof district of Kandahar province, the provincial police chief Gen. Tadeen Khan said.

Khan said the attack was carried out at early 2 am on Sunday. It was followed by few hours of clashes between other attackers and the security forces, he added.

Hours after the attack, the provincial police spokesman Jamal Barikzai said that the attack left 11 dead and 27 others wounded.

He said that 17 Taliban fighters were killed in the attack.

Ghani said in the statement that attacking a civilian institution which is working for institutionalizing democracy in the country, is an inhuman and unforgivable act. However, he did not mention the Taliban in his statement.

“Terrorists are targeting civilians and public institutions to hide their defeat on the battlefields,” Ghani said, adding that “but they should know that they will not reach their notorious ends by such acts.”

Maroof is a remote and the most insecure district in Kandahar and more parts of it are under Taliban’s influence.