Top Afghan police chief killed, 2 Americans wounded in Kandahar attack

Three Americans also were wounded in the shooting attack at Kandahar Palace, said Col. Dave Butler, a spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan. US Army Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, was present but uninjured in the attack, a statement from US forces said.

While Butler initially said three Americans were wounded, he later issued a statement clarifying that the three wounded personnel were all members of the NATO-led coalition but only two of the wounded were Americans.

The police chief, Gen. Abdul Raziq Achakzai, was one of the most prominent security figures in Afghanistan. The Taliban released a statement claiming responsibility saying they killed "the notorious police chief" who was their primary target in the attack.

The shooter was killed by the US military, one official said. The Americans wounded in the attack included one US service member, a coalition contractor and one US civilian government employee, according to two US military officials. They were evacuated and are in stable condition.

All of those shot were in close proximity to Miller, one official said, adding that the US assesses that Raziq was the target because the shooter had the first choice of shot and went for Afghans, not Miller.

This story has been updated to reflect new information from US authorities.