Suicide bombers attacked two police stations in Afghanistan's capital, and then battled security forces from buildings they occupied in the latest spate of violence.

At least five people were killed and 16 wounded in the Wednesday's attacks, said health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Majroh, adding that the casualty toll was likely to rise.

Eight suicide bombers took part in the attacks, one of which was claimed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the other by the Taliban, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak said.

However, Afghanistan's intelligence agency blamed the Taliban's Haqqani network and Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba for both attacks.

In the first incident in western Kabul, assailants hurled hand grenades and blew themselves up, setting part of the police station on fire, Barmak said, adding a third suicide bomber was shot and killed by police.

Two police were killed in the attack and two police and a civilian were wounded. ISIL claimed the attack in a brief statement carried by its Aamaq news agency.

The second attack unfolded in the city centre, where a suicide bomber struck the entrance to a police station in order to clear the way for another four bombers.

Barmak said "two or three" more attackers were holed up in a nearby building, trading fire with security forces.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to media.

Afghanistan's Western-backed government is fighting an intensifying war with both the Taliban and the ISIL group, that has turned much of Kabul into a high-security zone of concrete blast walls and razor wire.

The Afghan capital has seen an increase in bombings and other attacks against security forces and civilians since the Taliban announced the beginning of their spring offensive on April 25.

Fighting traditionally picks up in Afghanistan as warmer weather melts snow in mountain passes, allowing fighters to move around more easily.

Twin suicide bombings claimed by ISIL last week killed at least 25 people, including 10 journalists who had rushed to the scene of the first attack. This was the deadliest assault on reporters since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.</s>Updated at 6:50 a.m. ET

Kabul is in lockdown after multiple explosions rocked the Afghan capital on Wednesday, including two apparent suicide bomb attacks on police stations.

The Interior Ministry confirmed to Reuters that suicide bombers attacked a police station in Shar-e-Naw in central Kabul — an area near foreign embassies and government offices.

Najib Danish, a spokesman for the ministry, said sporadic gunfire was exchanged at the site as part of a "cleanup operation."

The first explosion occurred around noon local time near a police station in western Kabul's Dasht-e-Barchi district, an area that is home to many people belonging to the mainly Shia Hazara community, said police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai.

The blasts came in rapid succession, suggesting a coordinated militant attack.

One journalist shared a gruesome image on a WhatsApp reporters group showing what appeared to be a suicide bomber who had detonated his explosives, but only killed himself.

Reporters said they heard ambulances rushing toward the targeted police stations, but it was unclear how many casualties resulted from the attacks.

Later, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.

In recent months, Afghanistan has seen an upsurge in suicide bombings claimed by ISIS or the Taliban.

The most recent blasts come just nine days after a series of attacks in Afghanistan killed more than 30 people, including 10 journalists.

Also in April, a suicide bomber hit a voting center in the capital, killing at least 57 people. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.

In another attack in March, IS claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on a police checkpoint in Kabul that killed nine people wounded 18.

The Associated Press on Wednesday quotes officials as saying the Taliban advanced on a district compound in Faryab province, with one reporting that its fighters had captured the region, while another said fighting was ongoing.

"The Taliban have captured several districts in different parts of the country from Afghan security forces since 2014, when the U.S. and NATO formally concluded their combat mission and shifted to a supporting role," the AP says.</s>By AFP - May 09,2018 - Last updated at May 09,2018

Afghan policemen arrive at the site of an attack and gun fire in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday (Reuters photo)

KABUL — Suicide bombers and gunmen launched apparently coordinated attacks on two Kabul police stations on Wednesday, killing at least five people, with security forces still searching for several assailants as the city braces for more violence.

A series of loud explosions rocked the Afghan capital in the late morning and were quickly followed by volleys of gunfire as police engaged in fierce battles with militants.

The Taliban and the terror group Daesh claimed responsibility for the attacks. But Afghanistan's intelligence agency blamed the Taliban's Haqqani Network and Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for both incidents.

At least five people were killed and 16 wounded in the attacks, Health Ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told reporters.

Two police officers were also killed, the interior ministry said, but it was not immediately clear if they were included in the health ministry's toll.

After an easing of attacks in Kabul in February, Taliban and Daesh militants have stepped up raids in the city in recent months.

Daesh claimed the first attack on a police station in a heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the city's west, which police spokesman Hashmatullah Estanakzai told AFP had ended.

Interior Minister Wais Barmak told reporters three attackers were killed in that incident, after they used grenades to set fire to a room in the police compound.

Two policemen were also killed and two others wounded, Barmak added.

Majroh said four people were killed and nine wounded in that attack.

Ariana TV footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising into the sky while a photo posted on Twitter purportedly of the west Kabul police station showed a building on fire.

The second attack, claimed by the Taliban, took place in front of a police station in Shar-e-Naw neighbourhood in downtown Kabul where special forces were still searching for them.

"A suicide bomber detonated his vest at the entrance of the street and a car dropped four other attackers nearby," Barmak explained.

"One was killed by the police and three are still hiding in a building."

Majroh said one person was killed and eight others wounded.

Estanakzai told AFP that surrounding buildings had been evacuated but it was not clear if people were trapped inside with the attackers.

AFP correspondents heard a loud explosion in the late afternoon, which a police source said was caused by a suicide attacker blowing himself up.

A travel agency that handles Indian visa applications is located on the same street as the Shar-e-Naw police station. The Indian embassy and some of its consulates in Afghanistan have previously been targeted by the Taliban.

"There were about 300 people inside Shaheer travel agency. Had the police not stopped the attackers they would have caused a disaster," Barmak said.

Pakistan condemned the attacks as "blatant terrorism targeting innocent civilians", according to a statement from the country's foreign affairs ministry.

The attacks came as a strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Afghanistan, shaking buildings in Kabul where people were already on edge.

The attacks happened just over a week after twin blasts in Kabul killed 25 people, including AFP chief photographer Shah Marai and eight other journalists.

Those attacks were claimed by Daesh.

The Taliban recently launched their annual spring offensive, in an apparent rejection of a peace talks overture by the Afghan government.

Their Operation Al Khandaq will target US forces and "their intelligence agents" as well as their "internal supporters", a Taliban statement said on April 25.

Barmak said the Taliban had taken control of two districts in the past 24 hours, one in the northern province of Baghlan and the other in the northwestern province of Faryab.

Kabul has long been one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.

A suicide bomber targeting a blood drive for victims of recent attacks blew himself up in a city park on Monday after being spotted by police, causing no other casualties.

On April 22, a suicide bomber detonated himself outside a voter registration centre in the city, killing 60 people and wounding more than 100.

That was among a series of attacks across the country in places where people were signing up to vote.

The Taliban and Daesh have made clear their intentions to disrupt the parliamentary and district council elections scheduled for October 20.

General John Nicholson, who leads US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said previously that protecting Kabul was a priority for foreign troops.

But he acknowledged that preventing attacks would be challenging in the sprawling city that is poorly mapped and extremely porous.</s>Suicide bombers and gunmen launched apparent coordinated attacks on two Kabul police stations on Wednesday, with security forces still searching buildings for some of the assailants.

A series of loud explosions rocked the Afghan capital in the late morning and were quickly followed by volleys of gunfire as police engaged in fierce battles with militants.

At least two officers were killed and half a dozen civilians were wounded in the attacks, one of which was ongoing, police and health officials said, as the city braces for more violence in the coming days.

After an easing of attacks in Kabul in February and March, Taliban and Islamic State militants have stepped up assaults in the city in recent weeks.

IS claimed responsibility for the first attack on a police station in a heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the city’s west, which police spokesman Hashmatullah Estanakzai told AFP had ended.

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the station, triggering an intense gunfight.

“Two attackers were killed. Two policemen also lost their lives and two policemen are wounded,” Estanakzai said.

Ariana TV footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising into the sky while a photo posted on Twitter purportedly of the west Kabul police station showed a building on fire.

The second attack took place in front of a police station in Shar-e-Naw neighbourhood in downtown Kabul where a “search and clearing operation” was still under way.

An AFP correspondent near the scene of the second attack saw a body on the street by the police station and heard several gunshots. He also saw several terrified women running away from the scene.

A travel agency that handles Indian visa applications is located on the same street as the Shar-e-Naw police station. The Indian embassy and some of its consulates in Afghanistan have previously been targeted by the Taliban.

Health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh said one person was killed in the west Kabul attack and six others wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the second of the attacks that come just over a week after twin blasts in Kabul killed 25 people, including AFP chief photographer Shah Marai and eight other journalists.

The Taliban recently launched their annual spring offensive, in an apparent rejection of a peace talks overture by the Afghan government.

Their Operation Al Khandaq will target US forces and “their intelligence agents” as well as their “internal supporters”, a Taliban statement said on April 25.

Kabul has long been one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.

A suicide bomber targeting a blood drive for victims of recent attacks blew himself up in a city park on Monday after being spotted by police, causing no other casualties.

On April 22, a suicide bomber detonated himself outside a voter registration centre in the city, killing 60 people and wounding more than 100.

That was among a series of attacks across the country in places where people were signing up to vote.

The Taliban and IS have made clear their intentions to disrupt the parliamentary and district council elections scheduled for October 20.

General John Nicholson, who leads US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said previously that protecting Kabul was a priority for foreign troops.

But he acknowledged that preventing attacks would be challenging in the sprawling city that is poorly mapped and extremely porous.</s>Suicide bombers and gunmen launched apparently coordinated attacks on two Kabul police stations Wednesday, killing at least five people, with security forces still searching for assailants as the city braces for more violence.

A series of loud explosions rocked the Afghan capital in the late morning and were quickly followed by volleys of gunfire as police engaged in fierce battles with militants. Another explosion was heard in the late afternoon.

The Taliban and Islamic State group each claimed responsibility for one of the attacks. But Afghanistan’s intelligence agency blamed the Taliban’s Haqqani Network and Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for both incidents.

At least five people were killed and 16 were wounded in the attacks, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said.

Police were among the casualties, including two of the dead, Danish told Tolo News.

After an easing of attacks in Kabul in February, Taliban and IS militants have stepped up raids in the city in recent months.

IS claimed the first attack on a police station in a heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the city’s west, which interior minister Wais Barmak said ended after roughly an hour.

Barmak told reporters three attackers were killed in that incident, after they used grenades to set fire to a room in the police compound.

Ariana TV footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising into the sky while a photo posted on Twitter purportedly of the west Kabul police station showed a building on fire.

The second attack, claimed by the Taliban, took place in front of a police station in Shar-e-Naw neighbourhood in downtown Kabul.

“A suicide bomber detonated his vest at the entrance of the street and a car dropped four other attackers nearby,” Barmak said.

Four attackers fled to a nearby building and were killed after an hours-long search operation by security forces, police spokesman Hashmat Estanikzai told AFP.

A travel agency that handles Indian visa applications is located on the same street as the Shar-e-Naw police station. The Indian embassy and some of its consulates in Afghanistan have previously been targeted by the Taliban.

“There were about 300 people inside Shaheer travel agency. Had the police not stopped the attackers they would have caused a disaster,” Barmak said.

A police source told AFP the blast in the afternoon was caused by an attacker blowing himself up.

Pakistan condemned the attacks as “blatant terrorism targeting innocent civilians” in a statement from the country’s foreign affairs ministry.

The attacks came as a strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Afghanistan, shaking buildings in Kabul where people were already on edge.

The assaults happened just over a week after twin blasts in Kabul killed 25 people, including AFP chief photographer Shah Marai and eight other journalists.

The Taliban recently launched their annual spring offensive, in an apparent rejection of a peace talks overture by the Afghan government.

Their Operation Al Khandaq will target US forces and “their intelligence agents” as well as their “internal supporters”, a Taliban statement said on April 25.

Barmak said the Taliban had taken control of two districts in the past 24 hours, one in the northern province of Baghlan and the other in the northwestern province of Faryab.

Kabul has long been one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.

A suicide bomber targeting a blood drive for victims of recent attacks blew himself up in a city park on Monday after being spotted by police, causing no other casualties.

On April 22, a suicide bomber detonated himself outside a voter registration centre in the city, killing 60 people and wounding more than 100.

That was among a series of attacks across the country in places where people were signing up to vote.

The Taliban and IS have made clear their intentions to disrupt the parliamentary and district council elections scheduled for October 20.

General John Nicholson, who leads US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said previously that protecting Kabul was a priority for foreign troops.

But he acknowledged that preventing attacks would be challenging in the sprawling city that is poorly mapped and extremely porous.</s>Suicide bombers and gunmen launched apparent coordinated attacks on two Kabul police stations on Wednesday, with officials saying at least one of the assaults is ongoing.

AFP journalists heard a series of loud explosions in the heart of the Afghan capital followed by volleys of gunfire that were confirmed by Afghan officials and witnesses.

In the first attack a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a police station in the west of the city, sparking an intense gunfight between other militants and officers, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

Ariana TV footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising into the sky while a photo posted on Twitter purportedly of the west Kabul police station showed a building on fire.

The second attack took place in front of a police station in Shar-e-Naw neighbourhood in central Kabul, Danish said.

"Two attackers who tried to enter the police compound were shot dead," the spokesman added.

The attack on the first police station has ended while the operation at the second is ongoing, Danish said.

An AFP correspondent near the scene of the second attack saw a body on the street by the police station and heard several gunshots. He also saw several terrified women running away from the scene.

A travel agency that handles Indian visa applications is located on the same street as the Shar-e-Naw police station. The Indian embassy and some of its consulates in Afghanistan have previously been targeted by the Taliban.

Health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh said six civilians wounded in the explosions had been brought to hospitals. He had no further details on casualties.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks that come just over a week after twin blasts in Kabul killed 25 people, including AFP chief photographer Shah Marai and eight other journalists.

Those attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.

The Taliban recently launched their annual spring offensive, in an apparent rejection of a peace talks overture by the Afghan government.

Their Operation Al Khandaq will target US forces and "their intelligence agents" as well as their "internal supporters", a Taliban statement said on April 25.

After an easing of violence in Kabul in February and March, Taliban and IS militants have stepped up attacks in the city in recent weeks.

Kabul has long been one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.

A suicide bomber targeting a blood drive for victims of recent attacks blew himself up in a city park on Monday after being spotted by police, causing no other casualties.

On April 22, a suicide bomber detonated himself outside a voter registration centre in the city, killing 60 people and wounding more than 100.

That was among a series of attacks across the country in places where people were signing up to vote.

The Taliban and IS have made clear their intentions to disrupt the parliamentary and district council elections scheduled for October 20.

General John Nicholson, who leads US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said previously that protecting Kabul was a priority for foreign troops.

But he acknowledged that preventing attacks would be challenging in the sprawling city that is poorly mapped and extremely porous.</s>Suicide bombers and gunmen launched apparent coordinated attacks on two Kabul police stations on Wednesday, with witnesses reporting on social media that both assaults are still under way.

AFP journalists heard several loud explosions in the heart of the Afghan capital followed by gunfire that was confirmed by Afghan officials and witnesses.

In the first attack, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a police station in the west of the city, sparking a gunfight between other militants and officers, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

Ariana TV footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising into the sky.

“The second attack happened in front of police precinct 10 in Shar-e-Naw in central Kabul,” Danish added.

“Two attackers who tried to enter the police compound were shot dead.”

An AFP correspondent near the scene of the second attack saw a body on the street by the police station and heard several gunshots.

“Two wounded people have been brought to Kabul hospitals from the site of second explosion in Shar-e-Naw,” health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks that come just over a week after twin blasts in Kabul killed 25 people, including AFP chief photographer Shah Marai and eight other journalists.

Those attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.

The Taliban recently launched their annual spring offensive, in an apparent rejection of a peace talks overture by the Afghan government.

Their Operation Al Khandaq will target US forces and “their intelligence agents” as well as their “internal supporters”, a Taliban statement said on April 25.

After an easing of violence in Kabul in February and March, militants have stepped up attacks in the city in recent weeks.

Kabul has long been one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.

On April 22, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a voter registration centre in the city, killing 60 people and wounding more than 100.

That was among a series of attacks across the country in places where people were signing up to vote.

The Taliban and IS have made clear their intentions to disrupt the parliamentary and district council elections scheduled for October 20.

General John Nicholson, who leads US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said previously that protecting Kabul was a priority for foreign troops.

But he acknowledged that preventing attacks would be challenging in the sprawling city that is poorly mapped and extremely porous.</s>Suicide bombers and gunmen launched apparently coordinated attacks on two Kabul police stations on Wednesday, killing at least five people, with security forces still searching for assailants as the city braces for more violence.

A series of loud explosions rocked the Afghan capital in the late morning and were quickly followed by volleys of gunfire as police engaged in fierce battles with militants. Another explosion was heard in the late afternoon.

The Taliban and Islamic State group each claimed responsibility for one of the attacks.

At least five people were killed and 16 were wounded in the attacks, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. The health ministry said seven people were killed and 17 wounded.

Police were among the casualties, including two of the dead, Danish told Tolo News.

IS claimed the first attack on a police station in the city's west, which interior minister Wais Barmak said ended after roughly an hour.

Barmak told reporters three attackers were killed in that incident after they used grenades to set fire to a room in the police compound.

Ariana TV footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising into the sky while a photo posted on Twitter purportedly of the west Kabul police station showed a building on fire.

The second attack, claimed by the Taliban, took place in front of a police station in Shar-e-Naw neighbourhood in downtown Kabul.

“A suicide bomber detonated his vest at the entrance of the street and a car dropped four other attackers nearby,” Barmak said.

Four attackers fled to a nearby building and were killed after an hours-long search operation by security forces, police spokesman Hashmat Estanikzai told AFP. A “clearance operation” is still underway, he added.

The attacks come just over a week after twin blasts in Kabul killed 25 people, including AFP chief photographer Shah Marai and eight other journalists. Those attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.

The Taliban recently launched their "annual spring offensive", in an apparent rejection of a peace talks overture by the Afghan government.

Their Operation Al Khandaq will target US forces and "their intelligence agents" as well as their "internal supporters", a Taliban statement said on April 25.

After an easing of violence in Kabul in February and March, Taliban and IS militants have stepped up attacks in the city in recent weeks.

Kabul has long been one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians.

A suicide bomber targeting a blood drive for victims of recent attacks blew himself up in a city park on Monday after being spotted by police, causing no other casualties.

On April 22, a suicide bomber detonated himself outside a voter registration centre in the city, killing 60 people and wounding more than 100.

That was among a series of attacks across the country in places where people were signing up to vote.

The Taliban and IS have made clear their intentions to disrupt the parliamentary and district council elections scheduled for October 20.

General John Nicholson, who leads US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said previously that protecting Kabul was a priority for foreign troops.

But he acknowledged that preventing attacks would be challenging in the sprawling city that is poorly mapped and extremely porous.</s>Updated at 10 a.m. ET

Multiple bomb blasts, including two apparent suicide attacks on police stations, and earthquake tremors rocked Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul, on Wednesday.

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for at least one of the bombings. The blasts underscore how the government and its Western backers are struggling to secure the capital against militants who see the city and its residents as their chief targets.

At least two police officers were killed, Reuters reports. An Italian medical aid group called Emergency tweeted that it had received six people, one of whom was already dead.

The first explosion occurred around noon local time near a police station in western Kabul's Dasht-e-Barchi district, an area that is home to many people belonging to the mainly Shiite Hazara community, said police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai.

Another blast targeted a police station in Shar-e-Naw in central Kabul, according to Reuters. The area is near embassies, government offices and banks.

Najib Danish, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said sporadic gunfire was exchanged at the site as part of a "cleanup operation."

Local reporters and residents said that blast also hit near the Sharif Travel Agency, used by Afghans to apply for visas to India.

Aziz Ahmadzai, an Afghan writer on security affairs, said a friend had gone to the travel agency to secure a visa on Wednesday. "I am trying to call him, but I cannot," Ahmadzai said.

He described Wednesday as horrible even by the standards of the war-ravaged capital.

"You don't know if you will return to your home alive or not," he said. "In Kabul, life is by chance. People are worried they will be attacked — they are not safe — in the shopping centers, in the mosques, in the parks."

The blasts came in rapid succession at midday, suggesting a coordinated militant attack.

One journalist shared a gruesome image on a WhatsApp reporters group showing what appeared to be a suicide bomber who had detonated his explosives but only killed himself.

The attacks occurred ahead of parliamentary elections expected to be held in July. Afghan officials have had difficulty persuading residents to register to vote, partly because of fears that militants may target registration centers. Wednesday's blasts will likely reinforce those fears.

Adding to residents' misery, an earthquake shook buildings in Kabul, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

In recent months, Afghanistan has seen an upsurge in suicide bombings claimed by ISIS and the Taliban.

The most recent blasts come just nine days after a series of attacks in Afghanistan killed more than 30 people, including 10 journalists.

Also in April, a suicide bomber hit a voting center in the capital, killing at least 57 people. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.

In an attack in March, ISIS claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on a police checkpoint in Kabul that killed nine people and wounded 18.

The Associated Press on Wednesday quotes officials as saying the Taliban advanced on a district compound in Faryab province, with one reporting that its fighters had captured the region, while another said fighting was ongoing.

"The Taliban have captured several districts in different parts of the country from Afghan security forces since 2014, when the U.S. and NATO formally concluded their combat mission and shifted to a supporting role," the AP says.</s>(AP) – Afghan officials say at least three suicide bombers have struck two police stations in the capital, Kabul, wounding at least six people.

 Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish says the first suicide bomber struck a station in the western part of the city on Wednesday. He says there was sporadic gunfire after the blast, as a “cleanup operation” is underway. He says another two suicide bombers struck at the entrance of a police station in the city center.

 Asam, the head of the Kabul ambulance service, who only has one name, says six people have been transferred to hospitals.

 The Taliban and IS frequently target Afghanistan’s Western-backed government and security forces.
Eight suicide bombers attack two police stations in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing five people and injuring 16. ISIL claim one attack and the Taliban claim the other.