A United Nations office in western Afghanistan came under fire and one of its Afghan guards was killed and other guards were injured as fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan security forces intensified. Heavy clashes were already taking place in the Guzara district, 10 km from the provincial capital, of the western province of Herat province. 

"Anti-government elements" in Afghanistan attacked the main UN compound in Herat city on Friday, the provincial capital, said the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirming at least one security guard was killed.  the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said.

Rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire used in the attack, happened hours after insurgents were reportedly penetrated deep into Herat city. There were heavy clashes with Afghan security forces near the UNAMA provincial headquarters, officials said.

Local militias, under the famous anti-Soviet commander of Herat, Ismail Khan, are fighting alongside the Afghan forces to defend the city. Earlier in the late 1990s, Khan had fought the Taliban, alongside the Northern Alliance, an anti-Taliban front led by legendary guerrilla commander Ahmed Shah Massoud.

This is the first time since 2001, after the fall of the Taliban regime, the group entered the city known for its liberal outlook. For instance, over 60 percent of university students in the city are girls, a rarity in the country considered as highly conservative.

After Kandahar--where fighting is ongoing--Herat is the second major city to be attacked by the Taliban. 

Deborah Lyons, the U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, termed the attack “deplorable”. The U.N. was in touch with both sides in the conflict to determine how the office came under fire and by whom, she said. 

The government however said the Taliban insurgent attacked the UN office in the city. The crucial airport in Herat is also closed for the last two days as insurgents have occupied roads leading to the airport from the provincial capital. 

The Taliban has earlier asked private airlines to avoid flying around western Afghanistan airspace. 

“The perpetrators of this attack must be identified and brought to account. The UN is urgently seeking to establish a full picture about the attack and for this purpose is in contact with the relevant parties,” she said. 

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi released a statement saying the UN office was caught in the crossfire but that the “office was safe, and they should not have any concern. ”

Shahrazad Akbar, the chairperson of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, tweeted that attacks against U.N. could amount to war crimes.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and State Department deputy spokeswoman Jalina Porter also condemned the deadly attack on the UN in Herat.

“Attacks against civilian UN personnel and facilities are prohibited under international law,” Sullivan was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. “We reiterate our call for an immediate reduction in violence in Afghanistan, and for all regional actors to encourage the parties to return to negotiations without delay.”

These attacks at a time when a great humanitarian disaster is unfolding in the country could undermine the operations of international aid agencies in the country.