Explosions, gunfire rock Afghan capital

A series of explosions and gunfire have rocked the central part of Afghan capital Kabul, police officials say.

Heavy gun firing and explosions occurred in early hours of Tuesday near the Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Defense in an area of the city where there are many official buildings and diplomatic missions including the US embassy.

The CIA office and UN and NATO compounds have been locked down in the area and the US Embassy sounded its “duck and cover” alarm drill.

Kabul police confirmed that the palace and the CIA office were targeted by a group of militants.

It is not clear whether Afghan President Hamid Karzai was in the palace at the time of the explosions and the shootings.

Taliban militant group has claimed responsibility for attack.

“A big group of attackers have struck against the CIA office as the main target and also the palace and the Defense Ministry nearby,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Kabul Police Chief General Ayoub Salangi said that all assailants have been killed in the attacks.

There have been no reports of casualties among military forces.

In late April, the Taliban announced the start of their annual “spring offensive” against US-led and Afghan forces, vowing a new wave of attacks across Afghanistan.

The militant group said it would use “every possible tactic” to inflict casualties on Afghan and US-led forces. They specifically mentioned insider attacks, and bomb attacks.

Thousands of people have been killed in attacks carried out by the Taliban militant group and the US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan over the past years.

Violence continues to plague the country despite the presence of thousands of foreign forces, more than a decade after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.