Taliban says attacked British, UN offices in Kabul

Taliban bombers attacked offices belonging to the British Council and the United Nations in the centre of the Afghan capital on Friday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The NATO-led force in Afghanistan confirmed there had been "two explosions near the British Council", spokesperson Major Jason Waggoner said.

Reuters witnesses said there had been a third explosion in the vicinity near a high school, which police confirmed.

Afghan police detectives said a gunfight was going on between security forces and assailants near the UN compound, which is located not far from the British Council.

The council is a British-funded agency which runs mainly cultural programmes. It is not part of the main British embassy in the diplomatic area of Kabul.

"We targeted the British Council and the UN," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said by telephone from an undisclosed location, adding that they would issue a statement on the attack shortly.

There was no immediate comment from the United Nations, or any indication of possible casualties.