KABUL: A number of terrorists have reportedly stormed the the parliament building in the Afghan capital, Kabul forcing the politicians to flee.
Attackers detonated a huge car bomb outside the building, before racing into parliament itself, reports say.
Police are evacuating the premises, while trying to fight off the attackers.
Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi has confirmed that there has been an assault on the parliament and that security forces have been deployed there.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack which occurred as the Afghan president’s nominee for the crucial post of defence minister was to be introduced in parliament. “Several mujahideen have entered the parliament building, heavy fighting is on going,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted on Twitter.
“The attack happened at a time when the defence minister was being introduced,” he added. Officials could not immediately confirm whether Taliban fighters had breached the high-security parliament building and there were no immediate reports on casualties.
“We have heard reports of an explosion. We are heading to the scene,” Kabul police spokesman Ebadullah Karimi told a foreign news agency.
#BREAKING Inside the parliament #Afghanistan #Kabul https://t.co/fw6vslK8uM pic.twitter.com/niS3MCkR4r
— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) June 22, 2015
#Taliban has taken responsibility for the #Kabul attack. Firing still going outside of the #Afghanistan parliament pic.twitter.com/da5S4jomGp
— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) June 22, 2015
