Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday ordered a review of security in the capital after audacious attacks by Taliban militants highlighted the vulnerability of the city's defences.

President Karzai called in security chiefs to discuss how the Islamist militants could have brought their war to the gates of his fortified palace on Monday, when gunmen and suicide bombers brought the city to a standstill.

Security forces were put on high alert after the blitz on commercial and government buildings, the most spectacular assault by the Taliban in a year, which left fires raging and saw pitched street battles.

The attacks have thrown into question Mr Karzai's plan to bring the militants in from the cold and cast a shadow over an international conference this month on Afghanistan's future.

Five people were killed, including a child and four members of the security forces, along with seven of the militants.

"After security briefings by the ministers of defence and interior, it was agreed that the current security plan for Kabul be reviewed and that they report back to the president for approval," a presidential statement said.

As the clean-up of Kabul was under way, residents and analysts voiced concern about security.

"Kabul is a big city with five million inhabitants, mainly poor people, and the Taliban and al-Qaeda can take advantage of it and infiltrate the city," said analyst Haroun Mir.

Shopkeeper Fahim, whose store in the Qari Sami mall was destroyed when the building was stormed and set ablaze, said he had lost everything and blamed the government for allowing the attack.

"The Taliban succeeded here. They have shown what they can do," he said.

While the authorities investigated how the bombers penetrated the commercial and political heart of the city, security forces won praise from the US military and Nato for averting a potentially far greater loss of life.

Mr Karzai declared that the Afghan security forces had brought the situation under control after three hours.

But the attack was highly symbolic as it struck the only part of Afghanistan controlled by local forces just as the Western-backed President was swearing in ministers for his new Cabinet.

The Taliban said the attack aimed to send several messages and was timed to coincide with the swearing-in.

A purported spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told AFP the attacks proved "the Taliban can't be bought off with money. They wage jihad and heed the orders of God.

"More troops are not the solution," he said, apparently referring to the extra 40,000 soldiers being deployed to Afghanistan this year by the United States and Nato on top of 113,000 international troops already fighting the Taliban.

"Seven of our people proved what we can do," Mr Mujahid said.

The attacks "also sent a message to the international community before the London conference telling them that they have invested in an administration that is not capable", he said by phone from an unknown location.

President Karzai is due to announce a new reconciliation plan this week before the international conference in London on January 28, but the attacks cast doubt on its chances of success.

Wadir Safi, Kabul University political science professor, said the Taliban "show of force" meant President Karzai did not have a grip on the reconciliation process.

The attacks "happened at a time when Karzai has a plan for the Taliban, but he doesn't have contact with the important ones.

"It's a long process. There are Taliban in and around Kabul. They are here and can obviously be activated."