At least eight people have been killed, the first major bombing by militants in the city, during a daring attack on the house of Afghan Defence Minister Kabul.
Bismillah Khan Mohammadi was not home on Tuesday night when gunmen detonated a car bomb and fired shots near the highly fortified Green Zone.
His family was evacuated and four of the gunmen were killed, officials said.
The Taliban announced that they were behind the attack. The group also warned against more attacks on government leaders. It appears as a battle in other cities after foreign troops left the country.
The UN Security Council has called for an end to the violence. More than 20 other people were reportedly injured in the incident.
Police say four of the five attackers were also killed after they managed to enter the minister’s villa. The Interior Ministry stated it was a suicide bombing.
Special forces rushed to the neighborhood just outside the Green Zone, the heavily fortified enclave where many embassies and government buildings are located. A gun battle of more than three hours eventually ended the attack.
“Do not worry, everything is fine!” Mr Mohammadi tweeted after the attack.