Attack on Red Cross in Afghanistan
29 May 2013
Last updated at 15:17 GMT
Smoke was seen rising from the area
A gun battle between the attackers and security forces is continuing, according to a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province.
The Red Cross confirmed on its Twitter feed that "an incident" had occurred, but provided no further information.
"There is a terrorist attack against the office of the ICRC. The area is currently surrounded by police," an interior ministry spokesman told AFP news agency.
Local residents told the BBC that they heard a large explosion followed by gun shots in the heart of the city, close to the Iranian and Indian consulates.
The explosion was so powerful that it broke glass in shops and homes several hundred meters away.
The Elite Afghan Special Forces have been deployed to fight the insurgents, according to eye witnesses.
'Spring offensive' This is the second time in less than a week that international aid workers have been caught up in violence.
On Friday several staff at the International Organization for Migration were injured in an attack in Kabul.
The Taliban announced a "spring offensive" in April, saying they would target foreign military bases and diplomatic areas.
At least 16 members of the security forces were killed in Taliban attacks across the country on Monday and Tuesday.
In March, Taliban suicide attackers stormed a police station in Jalalabad, killing five policemen and injuring 13 people.
In December the Taliban attacked a joint US-Afghan airbase in the city, killing four Afghan soldiers and wounding Nato troops.
COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Smoke was seen rising from the area
An office of the Red Cross has been attacked in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, local officials say.
A suicide bomber targeted the office gate, with two attackers now holed up inside the building, officials say. A gun battle between the attackers and security forces is continuing, according to a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province.
The Red Cross confirmed on its Twitter feed that "an incident" had occurred, but provided no further information.
"There is a terrorist attack against the office of the ICRC. The area is currently surrounded by police," an interior ministry spokesman told AFP news agency.
Local residents told the BBC that they heard a large explosion followed by gun shots in the heart of the city, close to the Iranian and Indian consulates.
The explosion was so powerful that it broke glass in shops and homes several hundred meters away.
The Elite Afghan Special Forces have been deployed to fight the insurgents, according to eye witnesses.
'Spring offensive' This is the second time in less than a week that international aid workers have been caught up in violence.
On Friday several staff at the International Organization for Migration were injured in an attack in Kabul.
The Taliban announced a "spring offensive" in April, saying they would target foreign military bases and diplomatic areas.
At least 16 members of the security forces were killed in Taliban attacks across the country on Monday and Tuesday.
In March, Taliban suicide attackers stormed a police station in Jalalabad, killing five policemen and injuring 13 people.
In December the Taliban attacked a joint US-Afghan airbase in the city, killing four Afghan soldiers and wounding Nato troops.
COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
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