Nine Afghans, including one woman, have been killed in an militant attack on a guesthouse in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh.
The attack took place early on June 2 in Balkh's rural, southern district of Zari.
A provincial police chief spokesman, Shir Jan Durrani, said seven victims were workers from the National Solidarity Program, which oversees rural development projects.
He said the two others victims were their Afghan security guards.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Compared to other northern Afghan provinces during the past year, security in Balkh has been relatively stable.
But Durrani says security forces last week launched an operation against militants who have been infiltrating the Zari district.
The attack comes weeks after 14 people -- mostly foreigners -- were killed in a Taliban attack on a guesthouse in Kabul.