Afghan forces end ministry attack

KABUL, May 30 (Agencies): A coordinated assault on the interior ministry building in Afghanistan's capital ended with all 10 attackers killed.

Two blasts went off outside the ministry compound in Kabul on Wednesday before assailants attempted to storm the building, triggering fierce clashes with security forces that lasted for hours. At least one policeman was killed in the assault and five others were wounded.

"The explosion happened very close to the building and the fighters were attempting to go inside," Najib Danish, interior ministry spokesman, told Al Jazeera. "The assault is over now and a search operation is under way."

Initial findings by the ministry said six attackers were killed.

Al Jazeera's Jennifer Glasse, reporting from Kabul, said it was a complex attack as fighters attempted to enter the heavily fortified ministry.

"There are very high blast walls around the compound to be able to protect it from attacks. There are guards on 24 hours a day," she said.

Security around Kabul has been on high alert in recent days with more checkpoints and patrols as the government warned of attacks by the Taliban on government installations.

Special forces were on the scene, a security source told AFP, after an explosion at a checkpoint leading to the compound. The source said at least four attackers then began firing.

The attack began at around 12.30pm.

"We can confirm an explosion and gunfire at the first checkpoint of the interior ministry building. Security forces are there to assess the situation," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP, in a statement echoed by police.