Gunmen attacked the grand mosque of southern Helmand province this morning.

The attack took place at the time religious scholars were having a meeting in the grand mosque, located in the provincial capital Lashkargah.

Gunmen took the religious scholars hostages in the mosque and started shooting the governor house located in the area.

The attack which started in the morning and ended in the afternoon lasted for about four hours.

Pacha Gul Bakhtyar, Security Officer at the provincial police headquarters announced in the afternoon that there was no resistance.

He said the attack claimed the lives of two civilians and two policemen and left two other policemen wounded.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.