Blasts Rock Kabul; Taliban Target Afghan Parliament, British, Russian Embassies And NATO Base

Multiple blasts and gunfire erupted in Afghanistan's capital Sunday. The Taliban-linked militants fired rockets at the parliament and NATO base, while reports said a series of blasts were heard in the highly guarded diplomatic area in Kabul.

According to local media reports, series of explosions were followed by gunfire and the militants targeted the embassy area which houses the US, UK, Russian and German embassies. Black smoke was seen rising from several buildings, including the Russian and German embassies. A grenade reportedly hit a British diplomat's residence.

Military base at Jalalabad was also attacked by the insurgents. According to reports, insurgents fired several rockets at the parliament, Russian embassy and a five star hotel near the presidential palace.

Taliban reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks. We claim responsibility for these attacks, Reuters reported Taliban spokesman Zabinullah Mujahid as saying.

The attacks have intensified international concern over the state of affairs in the militancy-battered country, ahead of the planned withdrawal of the NATO-led coalition by the end of 2014.

The attacks followed the multiple combing operations by the Afghanistan Security Forces, which killed 47 Taliban-linked insurgents in past 24 hours.

Afghan Security Forces killed 47 armed insurgents, wounded 31 and arrested 21 others in multiple operations carried out in South and East provinces of the country, government sources said, according to a PTI report.

Afghan forces confiscated a huge quantity of light and heavy weapons during the operations. The operations were carried out in Kabul, Nooristan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Helmand, Zabul, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni and Paktiya provinces, according to the PTI report.