KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban forces attacked a large coalition airfield in eastern Afghanistan early Sunday morning, detonating three car bombs near the entrance of the base before sparking a two-hour gun battle that claimed the lives of nine insurgents, three Afghan security guards and at least four civilians whose vehicle was caught in the crossfire, Afghan officials and witnesses said.
The confrontation wounded fewer than 10 coalition service members, according to official reports, though by late Sunday it remained unclear exactly how many had been hurt or how severely.
