Kabul: Gunmen have stormed a guesthouse in the Afghan capital used by both foreigners and locals, sparking a gun battle with police.

The attackers targeted Kabul's Park Palace Hotel on Wednesday night.

Kabul police chief Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi says the gunmen were still shooting at his officers.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Taliban have attacked guesthouses before in Kabul.

Earlier Wednesday, gunmen killed 12 people and wounded 12 in an attack on a government compound in the city of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province.