video transcript

PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL Gunfire shatters the Kabul morning as Taliban insurgents attack the Afghan presidential palace. The assault began as reporters gathered for a news conference with President Hamid Karzai. It wasn't immediately clear if he was inside at the time. Afghan and U.S. forces returned fire. It took 90 minutes to bring the siege to an end. Officials said all five attackers were killed, and two Afghan guards. The defence ministry and the hotel where the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's Afghan station is based were also targeted. Tuesday's attack happened just a day after the arrival of a U.S envoy appointed to help peace efforts between the Afghan government and the Taliban. James Dobbins told reporters on Monday he was still trying to work out if the Taliban was ready for talks.