Forty-six-year-old Werner Groenewald, his 17-year-old son Jean-Pierre, and 15-year-old daughter Rode were killed by the militant Islamist group on Saturday in an attack on the compound of Partnership in Academics and Development (PAD), a US-based education group. Groenewald's wife, Hanneile, was working at a Kabul clinic at the time of the attack. The South African family had lived in Afghanistan for almost 12 years.

According to the police, three Taliban fighters attacked the PAD office on Saturday as Afghan commandos tried to stop them by engaging in a three-hour gun battle with the militants, who were eventually killed. Afghan officials said on Sunday that an Afghan worker of the charity had also died in the Taliban assault.

PAD later confirmed the deaths of its staffers. "We are caring for all staff and their families as they grieve the loss of their friends and co-workers," the PAD statement read.

Hanneile's sister, Riana du Plessis, who is acting as the slain family's spokesperson, told the news agency AFP that Groenewald's house had been completely burnt down in the attack.

"Hanneile went back this (Sunday) morning to try to recover some of their goods, but there was nothing to recover. She lost everything - her children, her husband, her cats, her dogs," said du Plessis.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid wrote on Twitter they targeted the foreign guesthouse because the South African family was running a "secret Christian center." Du Plessis denied the Groenewalds were missionaries.

In the past 16 days, the Taliban have attacked eight high-profile targets. Earlier this week, the jihadis launched a suicide attack on a British embassy convoy, killing a British citizen and many Afghans.

The latest surge in violence apparently forced Kabul police chief Mohammed Zahir to tender his resignation on Sunday.

"General Zahir told the interior ministry he no longer wanted to continue his job. The minister has accepted his resignation," Afghan official Hashmat Stanakzai told AFP.

shs/glb (AFP, dpa, Reuters)