Taliban in gun battle after Kabul bomb attack

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Media captionThe huge blast caused widespread damage

Afghan security forces are battling Taliban gunmen who launched an attack on a government building in the capital, Kabul.

Insurgents detonated a car bomb outside the building, killing three people and injuring more than 90 including dozens of children, officials said.

Several gunmen then stormed the building and opened fire on security forces outside.

The Taliban said it had targeted a facility of the defence ministry.

The attack comes two days after a US special envoy began a seventh round of talks with the militant group in Qatar, aiming to bring an end to the 18-year war.

What happened?

Monday's blast in the morning rush hour sent a huge plume of smoke over the Puli Mahmood Khan district. Witnesses said special forces had cordoned off the area and sporadic gunfire and explosions could be heard. Helicopter gunships were flying overhead.

Two militants inside the building had been killed but others were still returning fire, police said.

Image copyright EPA
Image caption Many schoolchildren were injured by flying shards of glass

Although three people were confirmed killed in the blast, officials warned that the death toll could rise. The education ministry said about 50 children who were in two nearby schools were among the wounded.

"These children were in the classrooms when the blast shattered the glass windows," said spokeswoman Nooria Nazhat.

Zaher Usman, an employee at the nearby culture ministry, said "the world turned upside down" when the car bomb exploded.

"When I opened my eyes, the office was filled with smoke and dust and everything was broken - my colleagues were screaming," he told AFP news agency.

In May, the Taliban attacked the Kabul office of a US aid group, killing at least five people and wounding 24.

How are the peace talks?

The Taliban have been negotiating directly with US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad since October.

A potential deal has emerged that would see foreign troops withdraw in return for insurgents guaranteeing that Afghan territory would not be used as a base by foreign militants.

But there are fears, including among Afghan women, that any deal with the Taliban could eventually see the militants sweep back into power and strip away rights and freedoms gained since they were toppled in 2001.

The Taliban has rejected any direct talks with the Afghan government which it calls "a US-imposed puppet regime".