An ongoing bomb and gun attack is rocking the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul, with a string of blasts hitting the city's embassy district.
A string of loud blasts was heard and insurgents are believed to be holed up in a building in the area. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted official buildings in the area.
The violence comes weeks after suicide attackers stormed the city's British Council office, killing 12 people.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for that hours-long attack on 19 August, saying it was to mark the anniversary of Afghanistan's independence from the UK in 1919.
Co-ordinated attack Tuesday's violence appears to be a complex attack with a number of suicide bombers involved.
A number of attackers have taken refuge in a building that is under construction, and are coordinating their attack from there.
Initial reports suggest at least four suicide bombers were involved.
The area is home to the US and other foreign embassies, Nato's Afghan headquarters, and a number of government ministry buildings.
Police guarding roadblocks near the US embassy and other diplomatic missions said the latest attack had targeted a nearby square.
"There has been an explosion and gunfire, there are several armed attackers in Abdul Haq Square," Mohammad Zahir, head of Kabul's Crime Investigation Unit, told Reuters news agency.
He said it was unclear whether the blast was caused by a suicide bomber.
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