Taliban attack Afghanistan parliament in Kabul

The Taliban have carried out a co-ordinated attack on the Afghan parliament in the capital, Kabul, where heavy fighting is still going on.

Attackers detonated a huge car bomb outside the building, before racing into parliament itself, reports say.
Police are evacuating the premises, while trying to fight off the attackers.

The Taliban say they are carrying out the attack to coincide with a vote to endorse a new defence minister.
The incident happened as new Defence Minister Massoom Stanekzai was being introduced to MPs, who need to endorse him.

Pictures on social media showed parliament full of smoke and people running for cover.

Local media report another explosion in the Dahmazang area of Kabul city.

Television was broadcasting live from the building when the attackers struck and MPs were seen fleeing the building, One female MP is reported to have been wounded.

Even by Afghan standards, these are very dramatic scenes, and police have a complex operation on their hand to clear the building and fight off the attackers, the country has been without a full-time defence minister for several months, and the attack is sending a clear message to the government by putting out Monday's parliamentary proceedings.