Afghan security forces killed five Taliban gunmen who stormed a building in Kabul on Monday after detonating a bomb-laden truck that wounded at least 105 persons, including 51 children, officials said.

The gun battle lasted more than seven hours, a security official said, adding that the Taliban fighters in the under-construction building fired at Afghan forces who rushed to the blast site to evacuate the wounded.

“Clashes ended with the death of all five attackers,” said interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi, adding that more than 210 people had been rescued during the operation. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. “The target was the defence ministry’s technical installation,” the Islamist militants’ spokesman said.