Gunmen attack Afghan intelligence training centre, 1 militant killed (Lead)

Kabul Dec 18 (IANS) At least one militant was killed on Monday in an attack on a training centre of Afghanistan s main intelligence agency in Kabul where terrorists and security forces are engaged in a shootout officials said.

The attackers were holed up in a building under construction near the training centre of the National Directorate of Security in western Kabul Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told Efe news. The strike was claimed by the Islamic State militant group through its affiliated Amaq news agency.

The terror group claimed that two of its fighters carried out the attack.

The Ministry spokesman said: "One of the attackers have been killed by the security forces. The first and second floors of the building have already been cleared and the security forces are now clearing the third and fourth floors."

"We believe two more attackers are resisting in the building " he added. According to media reports at least five explosions were heard.

The assailants had AK-47 assault rifles machine guns and rocket propelled grenades a witness said.

The Afghan capital has witnessed a number of major insurgent attacks this year. A month ago 17 people were killed in a suicide attack at the entrance of a hotel in northwestern Kabul.

The worst attack in the Afghan capital since 2001 took place in May when a truck loaded with explosives left 150 people dead and over 300 wounded.

Since the end of NATO s combat mission in January 2015 Kabul has been steadily losing ground to insurgents and now controls only 57 per cent of the country according to the US Special General Inspector for Reconstruction of Afghanistan.

--IANS
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