Multiple people are reportedly dead and dozens others injured after an apparent attack on a government building in Kabul early Monday.
Officials told reporters a powerful car bomb went off during the morning rush hour in the Afghan capital. The attackers then holed up in a nearby building where they engaged in an hours-long gun battle with security forces. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
The number of casualties varies across different media outlets. Some reports put the death toll at as little as three, while others said it had climbed to at least 40. A health ministry spokesperson said about 100 wounded people were taken to the hospital.
The attack came just days after U.S. negotiators and senior Taliban members started yet another round of peace talks in Qatar. The goal of the discussions is to mediate peace in Afghanistan.
