Afghan security forces have battled militants who launched a gun and bomb attack near the presidential palace in one of the most secure areas of Kabul.
A suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance gate and three other assailants then started shooting on Tuesday morning. Officials say three Afghan guards were killed as well as the four attackers. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
President Hamid Karzai was in the palace, but the target appears to have been the nearby Ariana hotel, believed to house a US Central Intelligence Agency base.
It is the latest in a string of attacks on Kabul in recent months, the BBC reports. Most recently, a suicide bomber in the capital targeted a prominent Afghan politician on 18 June, just hours before Nato formally handed security responsibility to the Afghan forces.
Tuesday's attack in the central district of Shash Darak began about 6.30am (local time). The Taliban managed to infiltrate one of the most heavily-guarded areas, with several key buildings such as the defence ministry and Nato headquarters located very close by.
Militants initially targeted the palace's eastern gate - a few hundred metres from the actual building - where dozens of journalists had gathered for a news conference with Mr Karzai scheduled for 9am.
A BBC reporter was among the crowd of journalists and said they were forced to run for cover as bullets flew overhead. They heard several explosions, and reports said grenades were being thrown.
The Taliban have showed no sign of abating their assault on security targets, despite last week's announcement that it had set up an office in the Gulf state of Qatar for US-led peace talks.
President Karzai raised strong objections, saying that the flag and nameplate initially erected at the building showed that the office purported to be a government-in-exile.
Officials say the High Peace Council, the Afghan government body set up to lead peace efforts, would not take part unless the talks process was "Afghan-led".
