In Afghanistan, at least 35 construction workers were killed on Thursday when Taliban militants attacked a road construction company in the south-eastern province of Pakistan. Provincial Governor spokesman Ruhollah Samoon said, among those killed were labourers, security guards and engineers while at least 20 other workers were injured in the pre-dawn assault in Wazi Zadran district. He said, the gun-battle lasted for five hours and ten Taliban militants were also killed as the private security forces guarding the compound fought back. In another incident, eight civilians were injured when a powerful bomb explosion rocked southern Kandahar city, the provincial capital of Kandahar. The explosive were planted in a motorbike and detonated near the Kabul Bank branch. Meanwhile, four people were injured in fresh protests on Thursday as the UN urged restraint a day after 14 people died in demonstrations against a NATO-led military operation. Around 200 people gathered in the streets of Taloqan in the north-eastern province of Takhar for a second day with some attacking the town's police compound and setting fire to police motorcycles. Police used water cannon to disperse the crowd.