11 killed in gov't office building attack in Kabul

KABUL -- Eleven people were killed and eight civilians wounded after assailants armed with gun, grenades and suicide bomb jackets stormed an 18-story government office building in the central of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Saturday.

The killed included four civilians, three security force members and four attackers, Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs said in a statement.

The attack on Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) started at around mid-day and ended after five-hour exchange of gunfire and explosions.

The elite Afghan Special Forces have rescued 2,800 employees and visitors from MCIT building and the nearby Ministry of Information and Culture building.

Three suspected men were also arrested by the elite troops from around the site of the attack.

The incident caused panic among the people and all the shops were closed down following the attack in the main business hub of the city.

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet. Taliban militants group has denied involvement, but the Islamic State (IS) outfit had in the past claimed responsibility for such complex attacks in Kabul and other Afghan cities.

The attack came days after Afghan government cancelled a proposed peace talks between government delegation and Taliban representative in Qatari capital of Doha.