UN relocates international staff in Afghanistan

The UN plans to relocate hundreds of its international staff in Afghanistan in the face of mounting Taliban attacks, officials said Thursday.

The decision came more than a week after Taliban militants attacked a UN guesthouse in Kabul, killing five of its international staff and three Afghan nationals.

"The UN is taking additional steps to reduce risks to its national and international staff serving in Afghanistan," the world body said in a statement released in Kabul.

"This is in light of the Oct 28 attack against UN staff in Kabul as well as further ongoing threats," it said.

A UN source said that hundreds of non-essential international staff would be relocated within the country or moved abroad. The relocations are effective immediately, the UN statement said.