Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Hundreds of people were evacuated from the area near the communications ministry

Seven people were killed in an attack on the Afghan ministry of information in Kabul, officials said.

An explosion was heard at 11:40 local time (07:10 GMT) and sporadic gunfire continued for over six hours before officials declared the incident over.

A ministry source said one of the attackers got inside the building.

The attack comes a day after talks between Afghan officials and the Taliban were suspended, but the Taliban said they were not behind the assault.

Among the dead were four civilians and three police officers, while another eight civilians were wounded.

Although Kabul still sees fighting, this attack follows months of relative calm.

What's happening on the ground?

The attack happened in a busy area of central Kabul, near one of the city's most popular hotels, a couple of other ministries, and the presidential palace.

There were four attackers in total - all of whom were eventually shot dead by police officers.

The Serena Hotel, which is heavily fortified, is one of the few still used by foreign visitors.

At 18 storeys high, the information ministry building is believed to be one of the tallest in Kabul.

About 2,000 people were feared to have been stranded inside for hours, until they were eventually freed.

Footage broadcast on local TV showed a small cloud of smoke rising near the tower block, while people climbed out of the windows of one of the lower levels, AFP news agency reported.

Hundreds of civilians were evacuated from the building, the ministry said, but eight people were injured and taken to hospital.

Image copyright EPA Image caption The attack happened in a busy area of central Kabul

Who is responsible?

The Taliban's spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said the organisation was not behind Saturday's attack.

The Afghan branch of the Islamic State group has carried out a number of deadly attacks in Kabul but has not so far said it was behind this one.

Where are we with peace talks?

The US and the Taliban have been involved in attempts to negotiate a peace process. The sides have held five rounds of direct talks since October 2018, and are now in the middle of their sixth.

A conference between officials from the militant group and about 250 Afghan politicians had been due to take place in the Qatari capital Doha on 20 and 21 April.

But the meeting was abruptly called off on Thursday after the Taliban complained about the size and status of the Afghan delegation.

In a statement, the Taliban accused the Afghan government of "sabotaging this conference and peace efforts".

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The building is believed to be one of the tallest in Kabul

The goal is to resolve Afghanistan's civil conflict and negotiate the withdrawal of US forces in the country.

The US also wants the Taliban to guarantee that Afghan territory won't be used by foreign militants, and that they won't pose a security threat to the rest of the world.

In 2001 a US-led military coalition overthrew the Taliban for sheltering al-Qaeda, the militant group behind the 9/11 attacks.

US officials say the conflict in Afghanistan now costs them about $45bn (£34bn) a year.

The Taliban currently control and influence more territory than they have at any point in the past 18 years.</s>KABUL - Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the communications ministry in central Kabul on Saturday, officials said, in an hours-long assault that destroyed weeks of relative calm in the capital.

The Taliban said it had “nothing to do” with the attack, which left some 2,000 people stranded in the tall office building for hours at the start of the Afghan work week.

No other group claimed immediate responsibility, but the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group has previously carried out multiple deadly attacks in the capital.

“As a result of today’s explosion/attack in Kabul city, two people have been martyred (killed) and 6 others are wounded,” the health ministry spokesman wrote in a tweet, adding 3 of the injured were women.

AFP journalists heard one big blast around 11.40am (07:10 GMT), followed by sporadic gunfire for hours afterwards.

“The information that we have is four attackers have placed themselves near the communication ministry and are engaged in gun battles with the Afghan security forces,” Amanduddin Shariati, a security official in Kabul told AFP.

By about 5.00pm (12:30 GMT), the interior ministry declared the assault over.

“Operations finished. All suicide bombers killed & more than 2000 civilians staff rescued,” the ministry said on Twitter.

Panicked workers inside the 18-storey building, believed to be Kabul’s tallest, moved up to the top floor as gunmen and Afghan security officials battled lower down.

One woman said she had been in a group of about 30 people on the 10th floor when the assault started, then was told to move up to the 18th floor as gunfire increased. They were all eventually rescued by commandos.

“Women were screaming, and children of the kindergarten were the first to be evacuated,” the woman, who did not want to be named, told AFP.

Afghan authorities gave conflicting reports during the incident. The information ministry initially said three suicide bombers had attacked a post office building at the ministry.

General Sayed Mohammad Roshan Dil, the Kabul police chief, said four attackers had been wearing police uniforms and had targeted a shrine near the ministry.

Footage on local television showed a small plume at the building, and people climbing out windows on a lower level.

The presidential palace said in a statement “the enemies of Afghanistan have conducted a terrorist attack”.

“Once again they have created fear and have killed or wounded a number of innocent countrymen,” the statement read.

The communication ministry is located in downtown Kabul, about two kilometres from the green zone, a heavily fortified compound for foreign embassies.

The area is the city’s main commercial zone and is home to a large hotel.

Aside from a grenade attack on a military vehicle last week and persistent crime, the capital has in recent weeks enjoyed a period of relative calm.

Last year however saw a string of attacks including one where a massive bomb concealed in an ambulance killed more than 100 people.

The attack comes a week after the Taliban announced their annual spring offensive and amid ongoing fighting across Afghanistan.

It illustrates the sprawling nature of Afghanistan’s conflict, and the obstacles to peace even if a deal is reached with the Taliban.

This week in the Qatari capital Doha, a summit planned between the Taliban and officials from across Afghanistan was scrapped at the last minute due to bickering over who should attend the conference.

The collapse comes at a critical time and amid continued bloodshed in Afghanistan, where the Taliban now control or influence about half of Afghanistan and 3,804 civilians were killed there last year, according to a UN tally.

Taliban officials are separately negotiating with the United States, which wants to forge a peace deal with the militants.</s>KABUL: Afghan authorities declared Saturday the end of an hour-long, multi-pronged assault by suicide bombers and gunmen at the communications ministry in Kabul.

"Operations finished. All suicide bombers killed & more than 2000 civilians staff rescued," the Minstry of Interior said on Twitter.

The attack had started about six hours earlier at a postal facility by the ministry, officials said, in a busy area in downtown Kabul.

No one claimed responsibility for the assault, which left people stranded in the tall building. Six people were injured, according to a health ministry spokesman.

Initial reports were confused, with officials from different agencies saying three or four attackers were involved. It was not clear how many were suicide bombers and how many were gunmen involved in a follow-up assault.

On Twitter, the Ministry of Information said three suicide bombers had attacked a post office building at the communications ministry.

General Sayed Mohammad Roshan Dil, the Kabul police chief, said four attackers had been wearing police uniforms and had targeted a shrine near the ministry. One of the attackers was killed, he told Tolo.</s>KABUL: Afghan authorities declared on Saturday the end of an hours-long, multi-pronged assault by suicide bombers and gunmen at the communications ministry in Kabul.

The attack had started about six hours earlier at a postal facility by the ministry, officials said, in a busy area in downtown Kabul. Suicide bombers and gunmen had launched an attack near a government ministry in central Kabul earlier on Saturday, officials said, destroying weeks of relative calm in the capital.

The attack occurred a day after planned talks between the Taliban and Afghan representatives were cancelled. No one claimed immediate responsibility for the assault, which left people stranded in the tall building. Six people were injured, according to a health ministry spokesman.

Initial reports were confused, with officials from different agencies saying three or four attackers were involved. It was not clear how many were suicide bombers and how many were gunmen involved in a follow-up assault.

AFP journalists heard one big blast at around 11:40 am (0710 GMT), followed by sporadic gunfire for more than an hour afterwards. "The information that we have is four attackers have placed themselves near the communication ministry and are engaged in gun battles with the Afghan security forces," Amanduddin Shariati, a security official in Kabul had told AFP.

On Twitter, the Ministry of Information said three suicide bombers had attacked a post office building at the communications ministry. General Sayed Mohammad Roshan Dil, the Kabul police chief, said four attackers had been wearing police uniforms and had targeted a shrine near the ministry. One of the attackers was killed, he told Tolo.

Local television footage showed a small plume of smoke near the ministry, and people climbing out windows on a lower level.

On Facebook, a man named Syed Jaillani Jallan said he was trapped inside the ministry. "Please pray for us as the enemy has reached very close to us. Suicide attack on communication ministry," he wrote. AFP could not immediately verify the comment.

The communication ministry is located in downtown Kabul, about two kilometres from the green zone, a heavily fortified foreign compound. It is the city's main commercial area and is home to a large hotel. The ministry itself is an 18-storey building, thought to be the tallest in Kabul.

The explosion came a week after the Taliban announced their annual spring offensive and amid ongoing fighting across Afghanistan. The Afghan branch of the Islamic State group has also previously carried out multiple deadly attacks in Kabul.

Aside from a grenade attack on a military vehicle last week, the capital has in recent weeks enjoyed a period of relative calm, after a horrific year last year that saw a string of attacks including a massive bomb that was concealed in an ambulance and killed more than 100 people.

This week in the Qatari capital Doha, a summit planned between the Taliban and officials from across Afghanistan was scrapped at the last minute due to bickering over who should attend the conference.

The collapse comes at a critical time and amid continued bloodshed in Afghanistan, where the Taliban now control or influence about half of Afghanistan and 3,804 civilians were killed there last year, according to a UN tally.

Taliban officials are separately negotiating with the United States, which wants to forge a peace deal with the militants.</s>KABUL: Gunmen attacked the communications ministry in the centre of Kabul on Saturday, interrupting months of relative calm in the Afghan capital and underlining security threats that have continued despite efforts to open peace talks with the Taliban.

Saturday`s attack began shortly before midday with an explosion at the entrance to the multi-storey building housing the ministry in a busy commercial area of the city, followed up by gunfire which could be heard over a mile away.

"I saw three attackers going into the ministry. One of them detonated his explosives and two are fighting security forces," Ahmad Zaki, an employee of the ministry said outside as the fighting went on.

The area around the building was sealed off by police as at least three attackers battled security forces, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said. Officials said the ministry building was evacuated but some of the attackers were holed up in a post office next door.

By early afternoon, Rahimi said at least two of the attackers had been killed and gunfire could no longer be heard. However, there was no confirmation that the attack was over.

The explosion, which security officials said appeared to have been caused by a suicide bomber, was also close to the heavily fortified Serena Hotel, one of the very few Kabul hotels still used by foreign visitors.

Health ministry spokesman Wahid Mayar said six wounded had been brought to Kabul hospitals and one security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media, said at least three people had been killed.

But there was no final word on casualties and no claim of responsibility for the operation, which marked a return to the kind of complex urban attack that have been familiar features of the Afghan conflict over recent years.

The Taliban issued a statement denying they were behind the attack, the latest in a series of militant attacks that have killed hundreds of people in Kabul over recent years.

Many such operations have been claimed by the local affiliate of the radical Islamic State group.

Prior to Saturday`s attack, Kabul had been relatively calm as U.S. officials have held a series of meetings with representatives from the Taliban to try to agree the basis for a peace settlement and an end to more than 17 years of war.

While heavy fighting has carried on across Afghanistan and Taliban militants have announced their now customary spring offensive, it had been months since the last major attack on civilian targets in the capital.

The attack, just days after a planned meeting between Taliban officials and Afghan politicians and civil society representatives in Qatar was cancelled, underlined the hurdles facing efforts to reach a peace settlement.

Officials have said they hope to hold a meeting soon but no date has been set.</s>Afghan authorities declared on Saturday the end of an hours-long, multi-pronged assault by suicide bombers and gunmen at the communications ministry in Kabul.

“Operations finished. All suicide bombers killed & more than 2000 civilian staff rescued,” the Ministry of Interior said on Twitter.

The attack had started about six hours earlier at a postal facility by the ministry, officials said, in a busy area in downtown Kabul.

Police chief Gen. Sayed Mohammad Roshandil said that the bomber blew himself up outside the telecommunications ministry, clearing the way for the other attackers to enter the building and the heavily guarded government compound in central Kabul.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Both Taliban insurgents and the ISIS are active in eastern Afghanistan and have previously claimed attacks in Kabul.

Nasart Rahimi, a spokesperson for the interior ministry, said earlier that security forces were locked in an ongoing siege. He added that they had shot and killed two further suicide bombers, before the attackers could reach their target of the nearby central post office.

Live footage from local TV showed government employees fleeing the neighboring information and culture ministry buildings, with some climbing out through the windows.</s>At least seven people including four civilians were killed and eight others injured after a group of assailants attacked the Afghan Ministry of Telecommunication in the capital Kabul, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said.

An explosion followed by gunfire happened at the Ministry of Telecommunication in Kabul on Saturday at around 11:40 am.

Following the blast, the assailants engaged in a gunfight with the Afghan forces for nearly five hours until all attackers were killed by Afghan security forces.

Nusrat Rahimi a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoIA) said that five attackers were involved in the incident.

He added that more than 2,800 government employees were evacuated safely from the scene of the attack during the rescue operation conducted by Afghan forces.

The attack came one day after the cancellation of scheduled talks between Taliban representatives and Afghan politicians in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The Taliban insurgent group in a statement rejected their involvement in today’s attack.

No other group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but a flag of Daesh is seen at the scene of the clashes.</s>Two dead, six hurt as suicide bombers attack Afghan ministry

KABUL: Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the communications ministry in central Kabul on Saturday, officials said, in an hours-long assault that destroyed weeks of relative calm in the capital.

“As a result of today’s explosion/attack in Kabul city, two people have been martyred and 6 others are wounded,” the health ministry spokesman wrote in a tweet, adding three of the injured were women.

The Taliban said it had “nothing to do” with the attack, which left some 2,000 people stranded in the tall office building for hours at the start of the Afghan work week. No other group claimed immediate responsibility, but the Afghan branch of the Islamic State (IS) group has previously carried out multiple deadly attacks in the capital.

AFP journalists heard one big blast around 11:40 am (0710 GMT), followed by sporadic gunfire for hours afterwards. “The information that we have is four attackers have placed themselves near the communication ministry and are engaged in gun battles with the Afghan security forces,” Amanduddin Shariati, a security official in Kabul told AFP.

By about 5:00 pm (1230 GMT), the interior ministry declared the assault over. “Operations finished. All suicide bombers killed & more than 2000 civilians staff rescued,” the ministry said on Twitter.

Panicked workers inside the 18-storey building, believed to be Kabul’s tallest, moved up to the top floor as gunmen and Afghan security officials battled lower down. One woman said she had been in a group of about 30 people on the 10th floor when the assault started, then was told to move up to the 18th floor as gunfire increased. They were all eventually rescued by commandos. “Women were screaming and children of the kindergarten were the first to be evacuated,” the woman, who did not want to be named, told AFP. Afghan authorities gave conflicting reports during the incident. The information ministry initially said three suicide bombers had attacked a post office building at the ministry.

Gen Sayed Mohammad Roshan Dil, the Kabul police chief, said four attackers had been wearing police uniforms and had targeted a shrine near the ministry. Footage on local television showed a small plume at the building, and people climbing out windows on a lower level.

The presidential palace said in a statement “the enemies of Afghanistan have conducted a terrorist attack”. “Once again they have created fear and have killed or wounded a number of innocent countrymen,” the statement read.</s>Seven killed as ministry building attacked in Kabul

KABUL: Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the Communications Ministry in central Kabul on Saturday, officials said, in a deadly, hours-long assault that destroyed weeks of relative calm in the capital.

"As a result of today´s explosion/attack in Kabul city, two people have been martyred and 6 others are wounded," the Health Ministry spokesman wrote in a tweet, adding 3 of the injured were women.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said four civilians and three soldiers had been killed, though unverified social media posts suggested the final toll could be higher.

The Taliban said it had "nothing to do" with the attack, which left some 2,000 people stranded in the tall office building for hours at the start of the Afghan work week. No other group claimed immediate responsibility, but the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group has previously carried out multiple deadly attacks in the capital.

Journalists heard one big blast around 11:40 am, followed by sporadic gunfire for hours afterwards. "The information that we have is four attackers have placed themselves near the Communication Ministry and are engaged in gun battles with the Afghan security forces," Amanduddin Shariati, a security official in Kabul said. By about 5:00 pm, the Interior Ministry declared the assault over. "Operations finished. All suicide bombers killed & more than 2000 civilians staff rescued," the ministry said on Twitter. Panicked workers inside the 18-storey building, believed to be Kabul´s tallest, moved up to the top floor as gunmen and Afghan security officials battled lower down.

One woman said she had been in a group of about 30 people on the 10th floor when the assault started, then was told to move up to the 18th floor as gunfire increased. They were all eventually rescued by commandos. "Women were screaming and children of the kindergarten were the first to be evacuated," the woman, who did not want to be named, said.

Afghan authorities gave conflicting reports during the incident. The Information Ministry initially said three suicide bombers had attacked a post office building at the ministry.

General Sayed Mohammad Roshan Dil, the Kabul police chief, said four attackers had been wearing police uniforms and had targeted a shrine near the ministry. Footage on local television showed a small plume at the building, and people climbing out windows on a lower level.

The presidential palace said in a statement "the enemies of Afghanistan have conducted a terrorist attack". "Once again they have created fear and have killed or wounded a number of innocent countrymen," the statement read.

Xinhua adds: Eleven people were killed and eight civilians wounded after assailants armed with gun, grenades and suicide bomb jackets stormed a government office building in the central of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Saturday.

The killed included four civilians, three security force members and four attackers, Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs said in a statement.

The elite Afghan Special Forces have rescued 2,800 employees and visitors from MCIT building and the nearby Ministry of Information and Culture building. Three suspected men were also arrested by the elite troops from around the site of the attack.

The incident caused panic among the people and all the shops were closed down following the attack in the main business hub of the city.</s>KABUL (Reuters) - Gunmen attacked the communications ministry in the centre of Kabul on Saturday, interrupting months of relative calm in the Afghan capital and underlining the continued security threats despite efforts to open peace talks with the Taliban.

The attack began shortly before midday when a suicide bomb was detonated at the entrance to the multi-storey building housing the ministry in a busy commercial area of the city, followed up by gunfire which could be heard over a mile away.

“We saw a gunman trying to break open an office door and as we were running out, he was trying to shoot us and he started shouting ‘I will kill everyone here’,” said Syeda Rashid, an office administrator in the ministry who escaped with several of her colleagues. She said at least six women had been wounded.

The area around the building was sealed off by police as at least three attackers battled security forces for several hours before the attack was finally suppressed in the late afternoon, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

Hundreds of workers from the communications ministry, he ministry of information and culture and the central statistics officer were evacuated from the building, along with several young children at a childcare centre for ministry staff.

“We were having lunch when we heard the explosion,” said Rabia, who worked at the childcare centre. “We grabbed the children together into the safe room and just waited till the security forces arrived,” she said.

The blast, which security officials said appeared to have been caused by a suicide bomber, was also close to the heavily fortified Serena Hotel, one of the very few Kabul hotels still used by foreign visitors.

There was no final casualty total but one security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media, said at least three people had been killed and nine wounded in addition to the attackers. Health ministry spokesman Wahid Mayar said six wounded had been brought to Kabul hospitals.

The operation marked a return to the kind of complex attacks in an urban centre that have killed hundreds of people in Kabul and other Afghan cities over recent years.

There was no claim of responsibility but the Taliban issued a statement denying any involvement. Many such attacks have been claimed by the radical Islamic State group.

Prior to Saturday’s attack, Kabul had been relatively calm as U.S. officials have held a series of meetings with representatives from the Taliban to try to agree the basis for a peace settlement and an end to more than 17 years of war.

While heavy fighting has carried on across Afghanistan and Taliban militants have announced their now customary spring offensive, it had been months since the last major attack on civilian targets in the capital.

The attack, just days after a planned meeting between Taliban officials and Afghan politicians and civil society representatives in Qatar was cancelled, underlined the hurdles facing efforts to reach a peace settlement.

Officials have said they hope to hold a meeting soon but no date has been set.
In Kabul, seven are killed after suicide bombers and gunmen attack the communications ministry.