Multiple blasts hit Afghan city, gun battle underway

REUTERS - Multiple blasts hit the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad today (May 13) in a coordinated attack that killed six people and wounded dozens, police said.

The attack began when one attacker blew himself up at the gate of the building in the center of the city, allowing the gunmen to enter. Then more explosions were then heard coming from inside the building, witnesses said.

At least four attackers, armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, still appeared to be fighting police. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The attack, in a busy area of the city with many other official buildings nearby, is the latest in a series that have killed and wounded hundreds in Afghanistan this year and put heavy pressure on the Western-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani.