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Taliban insurgents attack Kabul guest house Taliban insurgents attack Kabul guest house
(about 1 hour later)
A guest house in Kabul, close to the Afghan parliament, is under attack by Taliban insurgents. A guest house in Kabul, close to the Afghan parliament, has come under attack from Taliban insurgents.
Gunmen entered the building after a powerful explosion and officials that fighting is still going on. Gunmen entered the building after a powerful explosion and officials said fighting was still going on.
The guest house is sometimes used by foreigners, but Kabul's police chief says no foreign nationals were thought to have been inside at the time. The guest house is sometimes used by foreigners, but Kabul's police chief said no foreign nationals were thought to have been inside at the time.
Security has been tight in the Afghan capital, just one week ahead of a presidential election. Security has been tight in the Afghan capital, one week ahead of a presidential election.
This attack also comes one week after nine people were killed when gunmen broke into an upmarket hotel in Kabul. An attack a week ago left nine people dead when gunmen broke into an upmarket hotel in Kabul.
The Taliban on Friday put out a statement saying they had attacked a guest house and a church - but there are not known to be any churches in the area.The Taliban on Friday put out a statement saying they had attacked a guest house and a church - but there are not known to be any churches in the area.
Afghan special forces have surrounded the area, officials say. "A suicide bomber detonated his car loaded with explosives in front of a guest house used by foreign and Afghan citizens," Hashmat Stanikzai, a spokesman for Kabul's police chief was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
Witnesses described how the initial explosion shattered windows and said gunfire was still continuing.Witnesses described how the initial explosion shattered windows and said gunfire was still continuing.
Afghan special forces surrounded the area, officials said, and television footage showed military convoys headed towards the district.
It was unclear if there were any casualties.
The attack is the latest in the run-up to the vote to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai next Saturday.
Violence has escalated ahead of next Saturday's presidential election. Three days ago, the Taliban launched a gun and bomb attack on an office of the Afghan election commission in Kabul.