Video Related To: Pak help necessary in successful talks with Taliban’

www.timesofearth.com Kabul - Taliban militants have staged a series of attacks in the centre of Kabul, with gunfire and several explosions reported at locations across the Afghan capital. Early reports of the attacks, which began on Monday close to the presidential palace, said that at least four people had been killed and that several people had been injured. Farhad Paiker, an Afghan journalist, told AFP news agency that the strikes had spread to other parts of the city: "A suicide bomber in a car came towards the foreign ministry. Security forces tried to stop it and it hit a shopping centre. It is really chotic in the area. Later, a security source was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying that second shopping centre was targeted by a suicide bomber killing "several police and intelligence officials". The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying that 20 of their fighters were involved in the ongoing clashes. Afghan security forces have locked down the centre of the city, where opposition fighters were attacking from raised locations, including a tower block 20-stories high, and multiple directions. Nato's international forces were reportedly helping to secure the area. Afghan MP Mir Ahmed Joyenda told AFP news agency that the strikes did not show the Taliban to be strong. "They did attack any important ministry," he said. "It does not mean the Taliban is strong . It means they can not target military targets only the Afghan people. It means that <b>...</b>