Kabul Attack
Afghan policemen arrive at the site of a rocket-propelled attack in Kabul Sept. 13, 2011. Taliban suicide fighters launched an attack on central Kabul on Tuesday, taking over a multistory building under construction near the diplomatic district in the Afghan capital and firing rockets in the direction of several embassy and NATO compounds. Reuters

Gunmen attacked the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan Tuesday morning. Reports from the city say that militants planted high up on a neighboring building fired down on the embassy with rockets and machine guns.

The U.S. embassy can confirm an attack has occurred in the area of the U.S. embassy, including [rocket-propelled grenade] and small arms fire. We can confirm there are no casualties at this time among embassy personnel, it said in a statement.

The Taliban has already claimed responsibility for the attacks, and called the mission Operation Martyrdom in a statement on its Web site. All of the militants were wearing suicide vests, according to CBS News.

Embassy employees were instructed to stay in doors. At least three rockets were thought to have hit the building.

We are following the events closely; we have confidence in the Afghan authorities' ability to deal with this situation, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels.

As of 1 p.m. local time, two of the attackers had been killed by local police. Afghan Apache AH-64 helicopters are circling the building in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood of the city where the remaining three militants are still hiding.

Other reports from Kabul tell a story of chaos and disorder. Police opened fire on a vehicle when it refused to stop. A bomb also exploded near the state border police headquarters and at least three rockets are thought to have been fired at the parliament building.

One Afghan officer died in the battle with the insurgents. Two guards were wounded during the police station attack.

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