U.S. Embassy In Afghanistan Hit On Christmas Day

Rockets hit the U.S. Embassy compound in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Christmas Day, embassy officials said, adding that no Americans were injured in the attacks.

According to an Associated Press report, citing an embassy official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the attack happened around 6:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, and “two rounds of indirect fire impacted the U.S. Embassy compound." Indirect fire refers to either rocket attacks or mortar fire.

Meanwhile, the Taliban on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the attack and said they fired four rockets at the embassy and has inflicted heavy casualties.

Rocket explosions also were reported in other parts of Kabul on Wednesday morning.

"We can confirm two rocket attacks on Kabul. One impacted near Maranjan Hill, about one mile from the presidential palace. There are no reported casualties," Lutfullah Mashal, a spokesperson for the National Directorate of Security said, according to an Agence France-Presse, or AFP, report.

Taliban and other insurgent groups in Afghanistan have escalated their attacks this year, as foreign troops have reduced their presence in the country ahead of their planned withdrawal by the end of 2014.

Several key government and foreign offices and buildings, including the Supreme Court, the presidential palace, the airport, the NATO base and foreign-embassy compounds were targeted in major attacks during 2013.

However, the nation has seen a decline in insurgent attacks recently, while the NDS claims that they have foiled several insurgent attacks in recent months.

Negotiations have stalled on a security agreement that would decide the number of U.S. and NATO troops to continue in Afghanistan after 2014.

Earlier this month, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted a NATO military convoy entering the city airport and detonated an explosives-laden vehicle, killing himself but causing no other deaths or injuries, AFP reported.