Taliban fighters attacked Afghanistan's presidential palace this morning as reporters were gathering for a news conference with President Hamid Karzai.
Other government buildings in the city also came under fire.
School children walking to classes nearby were caught in the violence as government forces returned fire.
The fight continued for several hours. The President was not hurt.
The palace lies in a district of Kabul which is also home to the headquarters of NATO-led forces and the CIA's Afghan station.