KABUL -- The U.N. says it is temporarily relocating more than half of its international staff in Afghanistan following last week's deadly Taliban attack against U.N. workers.

The U.N. mission is still reeling from the Oct. 28 pre-dawn assault on a guest house in Kabul that left five U.N. staffers dead. The attack in the Afghan capital was the most direct targeting of U.N. staff during the organization's 50-odd years in the country.

Spokesman Aleem Siddique says about 600 nonessential staffers will be moved for several weeks to more secure locations in and outside of Afghanistan.