(Reuters)Gunmen stormed the headquarters of an international charity in the heart of Kabul and then battled police in an 11-hour standoff before being killed Tuesday morning, said the Afghan government. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blasts at the Defense Ministry. Out of fear of further attacks, the government put the whole area around the Defense Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the palace under lockdown. The attacks come less than two weeks after gunmen stormed the American University in Kabul and killed 13 people. Afghan forces are under continuous assault around the country by militants allied to the Taliban that seek to reimpose a conservative Islamic State.

Source: Washington Post September 06, 2016 08:13 UTC