Afghan army, police and US military personnel rushed to the scene of the attack in central Kabul

The UN said six of its staff were killed in the attack early on Wednesday on the Bakhtar guest house, but did not release their identities.

The US embassy has confirmed one of the dead was an American citizen.

Police officials said that all three attackers were killed, as well as three Afghan security personnel, after several hours of intense fighting.

The Taliban spokesman said that the UN had been targeted because of its invovlement in organising Afghanistan's presidential elections, the second round of which is due to be held on November 7.

Hotel under attack

As the stand-off at the guest house came to an end, a mortar attack was launched on a five star hotel, The Serena.

Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from the top of the building but the attack did not cause any casualties.

The hotel, located close to the presidential palace and used regularly by visiting diplomats and journalists, was the scene of a 2008 Taliban attack which killed six people.

The attacks took place in a high security zone in the heart of the Afghan capital, close to several heavily-guarded government buildings.

Aleem Saddique, a UN spokesman in Kabul, said it was too early to say what impact the latest violence would have on operations in Afghanistan, but said that the safety of all staff was the organisation's top priority.

Gunfire and explosions were heard shortly before dawn and a large column of smoke was seen rising over the centre of the city as armed police jeeps and fire engines raced to the scene.

A police source said that the three Taliban fighters who staged the attack were wearing suicide vests and armed with AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

The area around the guest house was sealed off by Afghan police and army as well as US military personnel.

Initial reports had said the attack was aimed at a US military facility in the city.

High alert

Kabul has been on high alert in the lead up to the November 7 election runoff

Kabul has been on high alert for attacks from Taliban fighters as preparations continue for the runoff presidential vote.

Last week the Taliban issued a statement calling for a boycott of the election process and warning they would step up attacks on foreign forces.

The statement warned that anybody involved in running the election would be considered a legitimate target.

Wednesday's attack comes a day after roadside bombs killed eight more US troops, driving the US death toll to a record level for the third time in four months.

The Taliban said they were behind the attacks which took place in the southern province of Kandahar.

The escalating death toll adds to pressure on Barack Obama, the US president, as he nears a decision on a revised military strategy for the eight-year-long war in Afghanistan.

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