At least five personnel of the Afghan Directorate of Protection Service were killed while escorting a UN envoy on the Kabul-Jalalabad highway, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed on Thursday night.

"The UN family in Afghanistan mourns the loss of five Afghan Directorate of Protection Service personnel in an incident today in Surobi District of Kabul. No UN personnel were hurt or vehicle affected in an attack which hit a DPS vehicle that was escorting a UN convoy,” UNAMA tweeted.

The incident reportedly occurred in Tangi Abreshum area of Surobi district around 10 am on Thursday, security sources said.

Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Secretary General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, offered condolences:

“My thoughts and prayers are with families of officers who died offering protection (to) our staff, as they do on so many days. The UN has expressed its deepest condolences to Govt of Afghanistan ... Violence in Afghanistan must end,” tweeted Ramiz Alakbarov.