The Afghan capital, Kabul, has been rocked by a series of explosions followed by a gun battle between police and militants. The main explosion happened outside a guest house.
Several smaller blasts followed the first explosion. The area targeted houses a number of guest houses popular with foreigners.
A spokesman for the Taliban said they carried out the attacks. A number of foreigners, mainly Indians, were killed.
Sirens blared across the city and announcements from loudspeakers warned people to stay indoors.
Although the shopping centre is in the heart of Kabul, the timing of the explosion - in the morning at the start of what is effectively the Afghan weekend - meant few people were likely to be in the area.
Reporters are ushered from the site. President Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attacks.
Dozens of people were reported to have been injured in the attacks.
An injured Indian doctor, Subodh Sanjivpaul, tells his story in hospital. A number of Indians were killed and Delhi condemned the attacks as barbaric.
Correspondents say questions will once more be asked how militants can carry out attacks in one of the most heavily policed capitals in the world.
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