Afghan security forces have freed 200 hostages and killed two assailants who launched a car bomb attack in Kabul near several government buildings on Monday, an official said.

Twelve people – including six hostages – were killed in northeast Brazil on Friday after police foiled a gang of armed robbers staging simultaneous predawn assaults on two banks in the town of Milagres, officials said.

Gunmen stormed a government building in Afghanistan’s eastern city of Jalalabad on Tuesday, taking dozens of hostages after a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance gate, officials and witnesses said.