In Afghanistan, suicide bomb attacks at the German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif yesterday killed at least six people and left more than 120 wounded, mostly civilians.<br/><br/>Taliban fighters in northern Afghanistan heavily damaged the consulate after fighting their way into the building during an intense gun battle that lasted for hours. The initial blast outside the German compound came from a truck bomb explosion that blew apart a protective barrier around the consulate, shaking buildings and breaking windows over a wide area. <br/><br/>A Nato spokesman said, there was massive damage to the consulate after the truck smashed into a perimeter wall. Taliban said it carried out the attack in retaliation for air strikes last week in Kunduz province.