Suicide bombing in Kabul

A suicide attack was launched on a traffic police building in the west of the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said on Monday.
A car bomb detonated outside the office just before dawn, injuring civilians and police, officials said.
A number of suicide bombers and gunmen then attacked the building, where the fighting still continues.
The Taliban, which has hit a number of Kabul targets recently, claimed responsibility for the attack in a text message sent to media organizations.
Last week, the group’s attacked the National Directorate of Security in the city centre killing four guards working for the intelligence services.
In Monday’s attack, at least one militant blew himself up outside the traffic police headquarters; police officials told the local media.
A second attacker was then shot by security forces, and two others are now held up inside the four-storey building.
Afghan Special Forces backed up by foreign Special Forces were trying to clear the traffic department, Kabul Police head General Ayoub Salangi told the BBC.
He said four police officials and six civilians had been wounded in the attack.
The insurgents fired rocket propelled grenades as police and paramilitary units made their way inside.
Black smoke could be seen coming from a fire on the building’s upper floors.
The incident was causing traffic gridlock in certain areas of Kabul – where busy intersections are controlled by police rather than traffic lights – as officers were unable to get to work.
Militant groups continue to mount regular attacks in Afghanistan, raising questions as to how the Afghan security forces will cope after international troops leave the country in 2014.