Two dead, 13 wounded in Kabul attack

Two armed insurgents have been killed by Afghan security forces battling a wave of Taliban attacks in Kabul, NATO says.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said Afghan security forces had secured roads in the city as militants took over buildings in the political and commercial area.

"Initial reports are they have killed at least two armed insurgents at the shopping centre after clearing the building," the ISAF statement said.

The Taliban launched a wave of attacks across Kabul on Monday, with up to 20 suicide bombers wearing explosive vests reported to be on the loose.

Blasts have been reported in the centre of the city, and gun battles have also been heard raging between militants and security forces.

Civilians wounded in attacks

Afghanistan's health ministry said 13 people, most of them civilians, had been wounded in the fighting.

"At this time I can tell you that 13 people have been wounded, most of them civilians, and have been evacuated to our hospitals," ministry spokesman Ahmad Farid Rahid said.

"Most of them are civilians but they also include security personnel," he said.

The fighting has brought central Kabul to a standstill as Afghan police and military snipers take up positions on buildings around the central Pashtunistan Square.

At least two shopping malls have been blown up, possibly by suicide bombers, according to television reports.