By Mohamad Jawad and Rohullah Khapalwak

Kabul (dpa) - Police said Saturday that the number of dead from the Taliban attack on a foreign guest house in Kabul had reached at least 10, with a further 10 persons wounded.

Police spokesman Basir Mujahid said of the wounded, nine were civilians and one a policeman. The overnight terrorist siege at a guest house near the Spanish embassy lasted some nine hours, and it was 12 hours before police had finally secured the area.

The Spanish Interior Ministry confirmed the death of two Spanish policemen belonging to a unit to protect the embassy grounds located in the upscale Sherpur district.

By official accounts there are additionally 20 Spanish police in Kabul helping to train the Afghan police force.

The Spanish news agency efe, citing "investigators" in Kabul, said the attack was aimed at a "foreign" guest house next to the embassy where "normally US military soldiers are housed." But two of the attackers did manage to get into the embassy grounds. Both were killed in the ensuing gunbattles.

Earlier, the Interior Ministry had reported nine dead, including all four of the attackers. It also reported the deaths of two Spanish nationals and four Afghan policemen.

The ministry said that the crisis-response team of the Kabul police had rescued 12 guests.

An Afghan guard working for the Spanish embassy said nine Spaniards had hidden in a security room of the embassy building.

The latest attacks come after President Ghani visited Pakistan for the Heart of Asia summit where the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to restart peace talks with the Taliban.

But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected such a prospect. "Mujahideen are moving forward throughout the country, capturing territories and destroying enemy centres," he tweeted. "Telling them to come to the peace table is stupidity."

Friday night's attack came three days after the insurgents besieged the airport of the southern city of Kandahar, setting off a 27-hour battle in which at least 61 people were killed, including 11 attackers.

In addition, the Taliban on Wednesday claimed getting a district in Helmand Province under its control.