Fighting goes on at Afghan parliament

KABUL: Fighting continued at Afghanistan's parliament on Monday, with one insurgent left inside shooting at security forces, the spokesman for the Kabul police chief said.

"One insurgent is left and he is firing toward the security forces sporadically. He has chosen a safe corner for himself which is away from police view," said spokesman Hashmatullah Stanikzai.

Loud explosions and intense gunfire erupted at dawn in the Afghan capital Kabul on Monday after heavy fighting overnight between security forces and militants holed up in the central diplomatic area.

NATO helicopters launched strafing attack runs on gunmen hidden in a construction site overlooking the NATO headquarters and several embassies, including the British and German missions.

Insurgents fired automatic weapons at Afghan army special forces and police, who responded with rocket-propelled grenades during street fighting in the capital that has so far lastedal most 16 hours.

Explosive flashes lit alleys and surrounding streets.

The assault by the insurgents, which began at midday on Sunday with attacks on embassies, a supermarket, a hotel and the parliament, is one of the most serious on the capital since US-backed Afghan forces removed the Taliban from power in2001.

It highlights the ability of militants to strike the heavily guarded diplomatic zone of the city even after more than 10years of war.

The Ministry of Interior said 19 insurgents, including suicide bombers, had died in the attacks in Kabul and in at least three provinces and two were captured. Fourteen police officers and nine civilians were wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, but some officials said the Haqqanis network was likely involved. (Reuters)