Taliban gun attack, explosions rock Kabul

An Afghan man carries a wounded man on his back to a hospital, after he was injured during a gun battle between Taliban militants and security forces in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. (AP / Ahmad Jamshid)

View larger image Dust rises after firing by Taliban militants in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. (AP / Ahmad Nazar)   View larger image Smoke and dust rises from a building, unseen in distance, which is occupied by Taliban insurgents during a coordinated assault in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. (AP / Musadeq Sadeq)   View larger image Fighting erupts near military hospital close to the diplomatic quarter in Kabul, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011.

Afghan security forces were battling with Taliban gunmen near the U.S. embassy in Kabul on Tuesday after insurgents launched an unprecedented, multi-pronged attack on the city.

Simultaneous attacks and explosions occurred in a total of four locations around the city. In the first three locations two suicide bombers detonated explosives and a third was shot dead.

The fourth attack, which was still underway as of mid-morning ET, focused on the diplomatic district and involved rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.

Emma Graham-Harrison, Kabul bureau chief for Reuters, said the "unprecedented" attacks appeared designed to showcase the Taliban's strength.

"We've never before seen the Taliban attempt such a spread out attack on Kabul, perhaps designed to give people the impression or make people feel the city is under siege," she told CTV News Channel.

During the attack, Taliban insurgents fired RPGs and assault rifles at the U.S. embassy, NATO headquarters and other buildings in the city's core.

There were no casualties among U.S. diplomatic staff, or NATO, but there were reports that two civilians and two police officers were killed and over 20 others were wounded.

Tuesday's violence, which came just two days after the 10-year anniversary of 9-11, marked the third major attack in Kabul since late June.

The violence served as an effective reminder, Graham-Harrison said, that NATO forces have been unable to completely cripple the Taliban, which was ousted after 9-11 for harbouring al Qaeda, which executed the attacks.

"The message I think is just that they're still a viable force," Graham-Harrison said.

"There's been a surge of troops in Afghanistan, there's been a lot of talk from NATO of security games over the past year since the troops arrived and I think the insurgents are very keen to show people they are still a strong fighting force and to make sure people are still afraid of them."

Plumes of smoke could be seen Tuesday hanging over the area where the fighting was taking place, and as U.S. military helicopters flew overhead.

Police said gunmen had occupied a tall office building that is under construction, but which overlooks the embassy district known as Wazir Akbar Khan. About six shooters occupied the building, police said.

Staff at the American embassy was ordered to take shelter in "hardened structures," U.S. Embassy spokesperson Kerri Hannan told The Associated Press.

She also said the embassy had taken fire from RPGs and small arms, but that there had been no casualties at the embassy.

NATO also said there were no casualties at its facility and the U.S.-led coalition was providing air support to Afghan security forces fighting on the ground.