Taliban claims responsibility for attack on Presidential palace in Kabul

The Taliban has reportedly claimed responsibility for attack on the presidential palace in Kabul where a press conference was scheduled by President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday.

Multiple explosions and gunfire were reported near the presidential palace, which is the site for several important organizations, including the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the headquarters for the CIA and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), RT reports.

According to the report, it was not immediately clear if Karzai was present in the compound during the attacks.

SMS messages on behalf of the Taliban were sent claiming responsibility for the attack mentioning that the targets were the presidential palace, the Ministry of Defense, as well as the Ariana Hotel, which is popular with international visitors.

The claim also included that several suicide bombers were part of the attack.

All the assailants were killed in the cross firing and most of the organizations were locked down due to the assault.

The report said that the CIA building was on fire shortly after the attack.

Taliban officials said that the newly opened office in Qatar was a response to calls by opponents for the launch of a political process to reach some measure of peace, and end three decades of fighting in Afghanistan, the report added.