Taliban claims responsibility for several attacks in Kabul

Smoke rises from a tower belonging to the British embassy after gunmen launched multiple attacks in Kabul. Credit: Reuters

Gunmen have launched multiple attacks in the Afghan capital Kabul. At least a dozen large explosions and automatic gunfire rocked the city in what appeared to be a coordinated attack across several areas of the city centre and concentrated on the diplomatic area, Reuters witnesses said.

Several Western embassies in the heavily guarded, central diplomatic area were assaulted, as well as the parliament in the west, witnesses and officials said.

Gunfire appeared to be coming from various directions in the barricaded diplomatic area, close to both the US and British embassies, and embassy alarms were sounding.

Smoke billowed from the direction of the German embassy, while explosions from rocket-propelled grenades rocked nearby buildings. Afghan security forces were scrambling to reinforce areas around the so-called green zone.

International Security Assistance Force spokesman Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson confirmed to ITV News that insurgents targeted several diplomatic buildings in Kabul including the British embassy as well as ISAF and Afghan government facilities.

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office said all staff at the British Embassy in Kabul were accounted for after the attacks.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility, saying their main targets were the German and British embassies and the headquarters of Afghanistan's NATO-led force. They also claimed, in a statement, they attacked Afghan president Hami Karzai's presidential palace compound, as part of several ongoing attacks in the country.

NATO says it has had no reports of casualties following the attacks in Afghanistan. It is understood seven locations, including the two eastern cities Jalalabad and Gardez have been targeted by the Taliban.

A Taliban spokesman has confirmed ITV News it coordinated attacks in Kabul, Nangarhar and Logar provinces and that it targeted the US and British embassies.

But the Afghan Interior Ministry has said the fighting is now over in Eastern Nangarhar and Paktia provinces.

Earlier the Reuters news agency reported that the Taliban had also claimed responsibility for the attack in Paktia.