Defense Ministry spokesman Thomas Raabe said the German soldiers called in support from Afghan forces, after they came under fire near the city of Kunduz on Thursday afternoon.

Raabe said that four of the attackers were killed during the fight, while another four were injured and four more detained.

Raabe said the fighting was still ongoing Friday but no Germans had been killed.

This most recent attack on German soldiers in Afghanistan comes just over a week after a 21-year-old soldier was killed in a gun battle, also near Kunduz.