This photo taken on October 23, 2003 shows Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Sun Yuxi (R) talks with Afghan Public Works Minister Abdullah Ali in Kabul, Afghanistan. China Railway Shisiju Group Corporation signed a road reconstruction contract with Afghanistan's Public Work Ministry on the same day. (Xinhua File Photo)

    This photo taken on October 23, 2003 shows Zhang Haizhou (1st R), deputy general manager of China Railway Shisiju Group Corporation, signs a road reconstruction contract with Afghan Public Works Minister Abdullah Ali (Front Line, 2nd L) in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Xinhua File Photo)

    KABUL, June 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Ten Chinese construction workers werekilled in a terrorist attack in Kunduz province in north Afghanistan Thursday morning, the Chinese embassy in Kabul said.

    The attack occurred at around 01:00 a.m. local time (2030 GMT Wednesday) on a construction site 36 km south of Kunduz province when some 20 gunmen opened fire at Chinese workers and security guards, leaving 10 Chinese workers dead and five others injured. One local Afghan was also injured in the attack. A diplomat from the Chinese embassy said earlier that the death toll was 11.

    Around 100 workers were at the site. Many of them came from eastern China's Shandong province and just arrived in Afghanistan on Tuesday. There was an exchange of fire between security guards and the armed gunmen.

    The Chinese embassy said it has asked the Afghan side to provide timely medical treatments. Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan Sun Yuxi was on his way to the scene which is a 6-hourride from capital city of Kabul.

    This is the first major casualties China has encountered in Afghanistan in the past two years. Enditem