Near-simultaneous Taliban suicide bombings and an hours-long shootout with Afghan security forces has left at least 16 people dead and over 100 wounded in Kabul.
The brazen noon-time attacks underscore the challenges the government continues to face as it grapples with the 15-year-long insurgency and struggles to improve security for ordinary Afghans.
In one of the twin attacks, a suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into the gates of a sprawling police compound in western Kabul. The explosion was followed by a gunbattle between security forces and several gunmen who stormed into the complex, said Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry.
Thick black smoke rose above the grounds, and several rounds of small-arms fire and subsequent explosions were heard from inside, according the Mohammad Naser, a shopkeeper who has a store nearby. Dozens of windows were shattered on surrounding houses and shops, he added.
The compound includes Kabul's so-called Sixth Police Station and is located next to the country's military school, which might have been the original target, along with cadets attending classes there.
Hours later, the gunbattle ended with all the attackers killed, said Sadiq Muradi of the Kabul police chief's office. Security forces were carrying out a clean-up operation following the attack, he added.
Wahid Mujro, the public health ministry spokesman, said 15 people were killed in the police compound.
The second attack took place in eastern Kabul where a suicide bomber on foot detonated his explosives outside the offices of the country's intelligence service, killing one person. A total of 104 people were wounded in both attacks, Mujro said.
In a message to media, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for both attacks.
