Storskaliga attacker mot hotell och ambassader i Kabul

Nyhetsbyrån AP rapporterar att det har varit en serie explosioner i centrum av Kabul efterföljt av skjutning i det som ser ut att vara ett koordinerat angrepp på viktiga byggnader och institutioner i Afghanistans huvudstad.

NBC News rapporterar att både den brittiska ambassaden, ambassadörens privata bostad och det fyrstjärniga hotellet Kabul Star, där mycket utländsk personal befinner sig, också ska vara attackerat. Det rapporteras också att flera självmordsbombare har belägrat sig i Kabul Star-hotellet, som nu är omringat av polisstyrkor.

Enligt AFP ska flera angripare också ha tagit sig in i regeringsbyggnaden i Kabul.

Enligt nyhetsbyrån Reuters har det skjutits raketer mot den ryska ambassaden. Det ryker också från den tyska ambassaden. Alarmen har gått vid USA:s ambassad, där all personal har fått besked om att söka skydd, enligt AFP.

Flera gärningsmän försökte ta sig in i parlamentet med stoppades av säkerhetsstyrkor, uppger en tjänsteman för AFP. De har nu tagit skydd i en byggnad nära parlamentet och strider pågår.

Samtidigt uppger polis att attacker skett i tre områden i Kabul, inklusive de diplomatiska kvarteren.

Raketdrivna granater har träffat brittiska diplomaters residens i Kabul, uppger vittnen för Reuters.

Samtidigt har en självmordsattack som följts av skottlossning inträffat i provinsen Logar, sydost om Kabul, uppger polis för AFP.

KABUL, Afghanistan — Gunfire followed by several explosions rocked Kabul on Sunday afternoon, in what appeared to be a coordinated attack in areas of the Afghan capital.

Explosions were first heard in an area near major Western embassies and a major NATO military camp, usually a heavily secured area of the city.

Soon after there was shooting near the Parliament and reports of explosions elsewhere in Kabul.

An Associated Press reporter in Kabul said militants who had staked out positions in a tall building were firing rockets in different directions, though it was unclear what they were targeting.

Talibanerna tar på sig explosionerna i Kabul

En talesman för talibanerna hävdar i ett textmeddelande till AFP att "en massa självmordsbombare" ligger bakom attackerna i Kabul.

Till Reuters säger talibaner att Nato-högkvarteret och de tyska och brittiska ambassaderna är huvudmål. Attacker sker parallellt i provinserna Logar och Paktia.

At least a dozen large explosions, followed by rocket fire and automatic gunfire, struck Kabul on Sunday in what appears to be a coordinated attack on the diplomatic area and the NATO base. The Taliban says it's behind the attacks.

*A parliamentary spokesman told Reuters that rockets were fired at Afghanistan's parliament and Russian embassy buildings.

Several attackers have entered the Afghan parliament in Kabul, a local official says. Residents across the city also reported explosions near the parliament building.

A witness says a rocket-propelled grenade also hit the residence of the British ambassador in Kabul.

Suicide bombers are said to have taken over a Kabul hotel known to be used by foreigners, launching rocket and rifle fire.

Smoke is billowing from the direction of the German embassy and several other buildings, while sirens could be heard throughout the neighbourhood.

A Turkish military base on the outskirts of Kabul is reported to be under mortar attack. Turkish and Greek forces are responding with heavy-caliber machine gunfire.

Taliban claim armed suicide bombers also launched attack on NATO headquarters.

Police say suicide bombers have attacked Jalalabad airport in eastern Afghanistan. Taliban announced attacks also taking place in Paktia and Logar provinces.

Fler än tio explosioner skakar just nu Kabul i vad som verkar vara en serie koordinerade attacker.

Självmordsbombare går också till attack mot Jalalabads flygplats i östra Afghanistan, uppger polis för AFP.

The locations under attack included the offices of the provincial governor, police headquarters, a US base - all close to each other, deputy provincial police chief, Raees Khan told AFP.

Two rockets hit a British Embassy guard tower near the Reuters office in the city.

På den svenska ambassaden i Kabul bekräftar man att stridigheter pågår omkring en halv kilometer bort.

The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying their main targets were the German and British embassies and the headquarters of Afghanistan's NATO-led force.

Taliban fighters had also launched assaults in two provinces, a spokesman for the insurgents said.

"We claim responsibility for these attacks," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.