Spain's embassy in Afghanistan is under attack

Thomson Reuters

A member of the Afghan security force stands on top of a concrete barrier a day after attacks outside the Afghan parliament in Kabul

Gunfire was reported immediately following the explosion, in a heavily protected area of the capital close to many foreign embassies and government buildings. Officials said police were on the scene.

At least three insurgents appeared to be involved in the attack, a police official said. A Taliban spokesman said the attack targeted "an invader's guest house," according to Reuters.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the assault on the Spanish facility included both gunmen and suicide bombers, and included a blast large enough to "[shake] buildings across the diplomatic district in the city center. The Journal was able to contact a Spanish official who confirmed an "ongoing" security situation.

At least seven people were brought to a hospital operated by the aid group Emergency, located around 700 meters from the Spanish embassy, according to a tweet from the organization. Spain's El Pais newspaper is reporting that two people have been killed in the attack.

The attack was the latest in a series against foreign targets in Kabul as the Taliban have stepped up their insurgency following the withdrawal of international forces from combat operations last year.

The blast, which interrupted several months of relative calm in the Afghan capital, came after President Ashraf Ghani returned from a regional peace conference in Islamabad aimed at reviving stalled peace talks with Taliban militants.

It followed an insurgent attack on an airport complex in the southern city of Kandahar that killed 50 civilians and security forces personnel, and which was only suppressed after more than a day of fighting.