Blasts reported in Afghan capital

Explosions followed by gunfire were reported today in an area of Kabul that is home to embassies and a Nato base.

The site of the blasts in the Afghan capital was not immediately clear.

Smoke could be seen rising from a few buildings and sirens could be heard through the Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood.

Pedestrians in the streets took cover as shooting continued.

Residents across town also reported explosions near the parliament building. A police officer in the area, Mohammad Assan, said there was an attack involving shooting near parliament.

It was the first attack in Kabul since a shooting inside the Interior Ministry in February in which a ministry employee turned a gun on Nato advisors and shot two soldiers dead.