Twelve people, including seven students, three police and two security guards, were killed in an attack by gunmen on the American University in the Afghan capital, Kabul, police said on Thursday.

Fraidoon Obaidi, chief of the Kabul police Criminal Investigation Department, told Reuters 44 people were wounded, including 35 students.

Security forces killed two suspected militants to end the attack on the compound, which began on Wednesday evening with a large explosion followed by gunfire, a police official said earlier.