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Kabul siege ends after gun-battle | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A siege in central Kabul has ended after hours of gunfire between Afghan security forces and an armed group. | |
Reports say between four and six people were killed in the stand-off which lasted more than eight hours and saw a large area of the city sealed off. | |
It is not clear if the men are suspected of being Taleban insurgents or a criminal gang. | It is not clear if the men are suspected of being Taleban insurgents or a criminal gang. |
Security has been tight in Kabul since the Taleban opened fire at a military parade on Sunday. | Security has been tight in Kabul since the Taleban opened fire at a military parade on Sunday. |
Explosions | |
Afghan intelligence and security forces launched an operation in the early hours of the morning against a group of about half a dozen people who were trapped inside a house in Kabul's city centre. | |
There was an exchange of gunfire and explosions were heard throughout the night in Gozgargah neighbourhood, a maze of alleyways and mud houses crawling up a hillside. | |
Sporadic gunfire continued into the morning and there is still confusion as to exactly when the siege ended and how many of the gunmen may have been killed. | |
The authorities have given little information about the operation or who they were targeting. | |
The Interior Ministry spokesman said only that they were enemies of Afghanistan, a term often used to refer to insurgents. | |
But they could not confirm whether or not they were suspected Taleban fighters. | |
Security in Kabul has been tight after the Taleban opened fire on the president and high-ranking dignitaries on Sunday during a military parade marking a national day. | |
Senior cabinet ministers faced lengthy questioning in parliament on Tuesday over the lapse in security and lost a confidence vote by MPs, although not by a large enough majority to lose their jobs. | |
Those same ministers are expected to hold a news conference later on Wednesday to give more details about this siege. | |
With plans for the Afghan government to take over responsibility for Kabul's security from Nato forces in August, there is intense pressure on military and intelligence leaders to prove they have a strong grip on the capital. | |