Taliban launch raids on Kabul and other Afghan targets

Militants are carrying out what they say are co-ordinated attacks on Kabul and other targets in Afghanistan. A Taliban spokesman said fighters were attacking embassies in the diplomatic enclave, Nato's HQ and the parliament building in the west of the capital. Multiple blasts and gunfire have been heard across Kabul. The Taliban spokesman said there were also attacks in Logar and Paktia provinces. There are also reports of suicide attacks in Jalalabad. Nato said it had reports of attacks in seven locations in Kabul but there were no reports as yet of any casualties. Smoke billowing At least seven large explosions were heard in central Kabul and gunfire erupted from various directions in the heavily barricaded diplomatic zone. Residents were reportedly running for cover and sirens wailing in the Wazir Akbar Khan district. Some explosions were also heard near the parliament building in western Kabul and police said it was under attack. A parliamentary spokesperson told Reuters rockets had been fired at parliament and the Russian embassy. Kabul has had relatively few attacks so far this year Smoke was said to be billowing from the direction of the German embassy. The US embassy confirmed there were attacks nearby. It earlier warned staff to take cover and is in lockdown. A rocket-propelled grenade was fired into a house used by British diplomats, witnesses told Reuters, with two rockets also hitting a British embassy guard tower. The Agence France-Presse news agency reported that the newly built Kabul Star hotel was on fire. Kabul resident Idris Ghairat, who lives near the hotel, told the BBC: "I can see the smoke rising. The fighting is around us and I have heard the blasts and gunfire. The security forces have taken position on top of all government buildings close to the hotel." Another attack appeared to target a Nato base known as Camp Warehouse on the outskirts of the city, where Turkish and Greek Nato forces were trying to repel militants. The BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says there are also reports of a suicide attack that has closed the centre of the eastern city of Jalalabad. Police said suicide bombers had attacked the airport there. Abdulhadi, who works for the World Food Programme in Jalalabad, told the BBC: "The US airbase was under attack. We heard loud explosions and had to take cover in a bunker." Militants also took over a government building in Pul-e-Alam, capital of Logar province, police said, and a gun battle was under way. A gun battle was also taking place in Gardez, capital of Paktia province, where militants had taken over another building. There is normally a surge in the number of Taliban attacks at this time of year following a relative lull in winter, when militants find it more difficult to move around.