Five people have been killed in a shooting attack on the house of a member of parliament in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul.

An Afghan police official said three gunmen attacked the house of Mir Wali, a lawmaker from the volatile southern province of Helmand, on Wednesday.

The official confirmed that at least three security guards and two members of Wali's family were killed in the assault.

Local Afghan media reports said among the dead are two of the lawmaker's grandchildren.

A number of Wali’s family members and friends have been taken hostage by the gunmen.

Wais Samimi, the former Uruzgan police chief, has also reportedly been wounded in the attack.

The Taliban said in a statement that their members had raided the house to disrupt an "important gathering of security officials."

The gunmen are still believed to be inside the house. Local news station Tolo News quoted residents as saying that the sound of gunfire and explosions could be heard.

Kabul and several other major Afghan cities have seen repeated bombings and shooting attacks in recent months.

Helmand province, one of the strongholds of Taliban, has fallen increasingly under militant control over the past two years.

The people of Afghanistan have been suffering from violence and insecurity since the United States and its allies invaded the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror in 2001.

Taliban lost its grip over Afghanistan in the US-led military invasion, but security has not been delivered to the country despite the presence of foreign boots on Afghan soil.</s>KABUL (Reuters) - Tha Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on the house of an Afghan member of parliament on Wednesday night that officials said killed at least five people and wounded a number of others.

A security official said one attacker blew himself up at the house of Mir Wali, a member of parliament from the volatile southern province of Helmand, killing three security guards and allowing two other gunmen to get into the compound, where a meeting was underway.

Mir Wali was wounded by shattered glass and other guests were also hurt in the attack, in which at least two civilians were killed.

Among the dead was Hafiz Barakzai, son of another prominent member of parliament, who was shot and killed while helping people to escape from the compound, his brother told Reuters.

The incident underlined the fragile security situation in Kabul, which has seen repeated attacks by suicide bombers and gunmen in recent months. Helmand, one of the strongholds of the Taliban and source of much of the world’s opium, has fallen increasingly under insurgent control over the past two years.

The main Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s incident. He said “an important military meeting” of officials from Helmand was underway when the attack took place.

Officials said police special forces were at the scene and were concentrating on evacuating people from the house and nearby areas.

The surviving gunmen were still believed to be inside the house, with local news station Tolo News quoting local residents as saying the sound of gunfire and explosions could be heard.</s>KABUL: Gunmen attacked the house of an Afghan member of parliament in the capital Kabul on Wednesday night, killing as many as five people, officials said.

One police official said three gunmen attacked the house of Mir Wali, a member of parliament from the volatile southern province of Helmand and killed three security guards and two members of the MP's family.

The incident underlined the fragile security situation in Kabul, which has seen repeated attacks by suicide bombers and gunmen in recent months. Helmand, one of the strongholds of the Taliban and source of much of the world's opium, has fallen increasingly under insurgent control over the past two years.

Officials said police special forces were at the scene of the attack and were concentrating on evacuating people from the house and nearby areas.

The gunmen were still believed to be inside the house, with local news station Tolo News quoting local residents as saying the sound of gunfire and explosions could be heard.</s>An Afghan police officer inspects the house of an Afghan member of parliament which was attacked by Taliban last night in Kabul on Wednesday. (Source: Reuters) An Afghan police officer inspects the house of an Afghan member of parliament which was attacked by Taliban last night in Kabul on Wednesday. (Source: Reuters)

Afghan police say gunmen have stormed the home of a lawmaker in the capital, killing eight people and leaving the parliamentarian wounded after he jumped from the roof to escape. The Taliban claimed the attack, which began late Wednesday, saying they targeted a meeting of military officials.

Police officer Sadiq Muradi says the gunmen attacked the house of Mir Wali, a lawmaker from the restive southern Helmand province. They battled his guards for several hours, eventually killing eight people, including family members, friends and members of his security detail. Three attackers were killed.</s>Afghan police and security officials combed through the wreckage of a member of parliament's house in Kabul on Thursday after an attack by Taliban gunmen in which at least seven people were killed.

Broken glass and spent bullet cartridges lay on the bloodstained ground of the heavily fortified house in the district of Khushal Khan belonging to Mir Wali, a member of parliament from the volatile southern province of Helmand.

Police special forces units sealed off the house following the attack on Wednesday night but gunfire and explosions could be heard for several hours.

"It was a really terrifying situation here in the night," said neighbour Matihullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name. "There were explosions and firing. It was really horrible and we couldn't sleep whole the night."

The Taliban said 20 people, including senior security officials from Helmand, had been killed in the attack but government officials put the death toll at seven. Two Taliban gunmen had also been killed, they said.

The attack underlined the fragile security situation in Kabul which has seen a series of kidnappings, suicide bombings and other insurgent attacks on targets connected to the Western-backed government.

The Taliban said the attack targeted a meeting of security officials who had been invited to discuss Helmand, a major opium-producing region which has fallen increasingly under insurgent control over the past two years.</s>Afghan police say gunmen have stormed the home of a lawmaker in the capital, killing eight people and leaving the parliamentarian wounded after he jumped from the roof to escape.

The Taliban claimed the attack, which began late Wednesday, saying they targeted a meeting of military officials.

Police officer Sadiq Muradi says the gunmen attacked the house of Mir Wali, a lawmaker from the restive southern Helmand province. They battled his guards for several hours, eventually killing eight people, including two of his grandsons, friends and members of his security detail. Three attackers were killed.

The Taliban in a statement said their suicide bombers raided the house to disrupt an “important gathering of officials” to address the deteriorating security situation in the lawmaker’s southern opium-rich province.

“President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemns the attack on the residence of Helmand MP Mir Wali, which killed two members of his family, a number of his bodyguards and the son of another MP from Uruzgan, Obaidullah Barakzai,” the presidential palace said in a statement.

“President Ghani termed the attack as an unforgivable crime. Attacking the residence of national personalities cannot be justified in any religion and is against Islamic values.”

In all eight civilians and officials were killed, said Fraidoon Obaidi, chief of Kabul police’s Criminal Investigation Department. Mir Wali was hospitalised after he jumped from his roof to escape the attack, he added.

Sporadic gunfire and explosions were heard from the house early Thursday as Afghan forces cordoned off the property to launch a clearance operation.

“The coordinated attack was carried out by three suicide bombers. They were gunned down by Afghan forces,” Obaidi told reporters.

The brazen attack underscores the worsening security situation in Afghanistan and highlights how the Taliban are stepping up targeted attacks on high-level officials.

The militants are escalating their nationwide insurgency despite the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs, even as international efforts intensify to restart stalled peace talks.

Fifteen years and hundreds of billions of dollars since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the security situation in the country remains fraught and Afghan forces are struggling to contain the conflict.</s>Afghan police say gunmen have stormed the home of a lawmaker in the capital, killing eight people and leaving the parliamentarian wounded after he jumped from the roof to escape.

The Taliban claimed the attack, which began late Wednesday, saying they targeted a meeting of military officials.

Police officer Sadiq Muradi says the gunmen attacked the house of Mir Wali, a lawmaker from the restive southern Helmand province. They battled his guards for several hours, eventually killing eight people, including family members, friends and members of his security detail. Three attackers were killed.</s>Taliban militants have claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on the house of a lawmaker in Afghanistan that killed five people on Wednesday night, 21 December.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman of the terrorist outfit, said in a statement that "an important military meeting" of officials from Helmand was underway when the attack took place, Reuters reports.

According to a security official, the assault took place at the house of the Helmand Member of Parliament, Mir Wali, when one attacker blew himself up, allowing two other gunmen enter the compound.

Reports suggested that the lawmaker was wounded in the attack but has survived. Two of his grandchildren, however, succumbed to injuries. Among the dead were Hafiz Barakzai, son Kandahar MP Obaidullah Barikzai, and two other security force members. Barakzai was reportedly shot at while he was helping people escape the attack, BBC reports.

Officials confirmed that the gunmen have held hostages, including friends and relatives of Wali. The MP reportedly escaped the attackers through the house of a neighbor.

Police Special Forces are now trying to evacuate people from the house and surrounding areas, Reuters reports.

Taliban have made sweeping gains in Helmand since international coalition forces withdrew from Kabul in 2014.

A number of strikes by suicide bombers and gunmen in the recent months have exposed the instability in Afghanistan. Helmand, which is a source of opium, remains a stronghold of the Taliban.</s>Eight people were killed when Taliban suicide bombers stormed the residence of an Afghan lawmaker in the capital Kabul, officials said after the attackers were gunned down early Thursday following a nearly 10-hour siege.

Helmand MP Mir Wali survived the assault with injuries but two of his grandsons and bodyguards were among those killed in the attack, which began on Wednesday evening following a recent lull in violence in Kabul.

The Taliban in a statement said their suicide bombers raided the house to disrupt an "important gathering of officials" to address the deteriorating security situation in the lawmaker's southern opium-rich province.

"President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemns the attack on the residence of Helmand MP Mir Wali, which killed two members of his family, a number of his bodyguards and the son of another MP from Uruzgan, Obaidullah Barakzai," the presidential palace said in a statement.

"President Ghani termed the attack as an unforgivable crime. Attacking the residence of national personalities cannot be justified in any religion and is against Islamic values."

In all eight civilians and officials were killed, said Fraidoon Obaidi, chief of Kabul police's Criminal Investigation Department. Mir Wali was hospitalised after he jumped from his roof to escape the attack, he added.

Sporadic gunfire and explosions were heard from the house early Thursday as Afghan forces cordoned off the property to launch a clearance operation.

"The coordinated attack was carried out by three suicide bombers. They were gunned down by Afghan forces," Obaidi told reporters.

The brazen attack underscores the worsening security situation in Afghanistan and highlights how the Taliban are stepping up targeted attacks on high-level officials.

The militants are escalating their nationwide insurgency despite the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs, even as international efforts intensify to restart stalled peace talks.

Fifteen years and hundreds of billions of dollars since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the security situation in the country remains fraught and Afghan forces are struggling to contain the conflict.</s>Afghan authorities say an overnight Taliban assault targeting the home of a lawmaker in the capital, Kabul, left at least eight people dead and many wounded.

The 13-hour siege ended early Thursday when a gunfight with Afghan special forces left all the assailants dead, police told reporters.

Malim Mer Wali, a parliamentarian from the southern Helmand province, was injured after he jumped from the roof to escape. Residents also heard two loud explosions during the siege.

Local media reported at least one of the assailants detonated explosives strapped to his body when the attack began.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility, saying two heavily armed suicide bombers stormed the building Wednesday evening when a security meeting, with senior military officials from Helmand in attendance, was underway there.

He asserted that the raid killed at least 20 “important” personalities and wounded many more. The Taliban often releases inflated casualty figures for such attacks.

Helmand is the largest of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, and many of its districts have fallen to the Taliban in recent months while its capital, Lashkargah, remains under pressure from the insurgents.
Five people are killed in a Taliban attack on Afghan Member of Parliament Mir Wali's home in Helmand Province. At least three security guards and two civilians were killed in the assault; Wali and others were injured. The gunmen are holding a number of occupants hostage.