Nine Taliban militants stormed a government compound in the western Afghanistan province of Fafah on Wednesday in an attempt to free prisoners there.

The nine attackers gained access to the compound and got past the security checkpoint using Afghan National Army vehicles. Once inside, two of the attackers detonated a bomb near the courthouse gates, killing themselves in the process. Another was shot by security forces as the remaining six took refuge in nearby buildings. The fighters were on a mission to free Taliban prisoners being taken to the courthouse for trial.

The fighting carried on for seven hours and finally resulted in all the attackers being killed. But, not before they were able to kill at least 44, mostly civilians, and wound an additional 70.

The ISAF condemned the attack on the courthouse today, “We stand with the Afghan leadership in condemning this brutal assault on the courthouse in Farah, which killed many Afghan civilians,” said Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, the ISAF commander. “Innocent civilians and public servants were killed and injured because of the insurgency’s indiscriminate use of suicide attacks and small arms fire. We offer our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured yesterday and implore the insurgency to stop attacking innocent civilians.”

Later on Wednesday, it was reported by Afghan officials, that a NATO helicopter, in the province of Ghazni, fired on and killed four police officers and wounded two civilians. It is believed that the helicopter crew mistook the officers, who were not in uniform, for militants.

The ISAF is assessing the report and an investigation into the strike is continueing.