John Key

Wellington, Jan 19 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key has confirmed a small group of New Zealand Special Air Services (SAS) soldiers was at the scene of an attack which killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 70 in the Afghanistan capital, Kabul, yesterday.

Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers struck the heart of Kabul, launching a wave of attacks and triggering battles with security forces that left five people dead and sent terrified residents fleeing.

Several suicide bombers blew themselves up at key sites, setting off blazing fires that sent plumes of black smoke into the sky, as Afghan security forces battled militants on the otherwise deserted streets.

One child was killed, along with four members of the security forces, and more than 70 people were wounded. Seven militants were also killed, either by blowing themselves up or by being shot dead by the security forces.

Several children were also briefly taken hostage, a security official said, in the most dramatic strike on Kabul since the Taliban laid siege to government buildings in February 2009, killing at least 26 people.

Mr Key told reporters that a "small element" of the SAS was among forces that took up positions close to the assault in Pashtunistan Square, an area that holds the Ministry of Justice, the Central Bank and the palace of President Hamid Karzai, about 9.30am local time, with two men detonating suicide bombs.

"No members of the New Zealand SAS were injured in the course of their involvement and I am advised that was very limited," Mr Key said.

The SAS members were part of an operation responding to the attacks.

"All other NZ defence force personnel in Kabul are accounted for and safe, no other New Zealand defence personnel other than those I mentioned already, participated in this incident."

Mr Key said the SAS were armed but he did not believe they had harmed any civilians or fired on insurgents.

"To the best of my knowledge they weren't involved in particular instances that caused harm."

New Zealand remained determined to see through its commitment in Afghanistan, he said.

Mr Key said he was commenting on the incident because the SAS involvement had been reported by journalists at the scene but he would not be making a habit of it unless similar cases arose or there were injuries.

Mr Key said New Zealand was playing a role in preventing global terrorism spreading out from Afghanistan.

New Zealand personnel in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were at a military base at the time and were not involved in the fighting.

The SAS is on its fourth deployment, which started in September last year and a commitment has been made to maintain about 70 personnel for up to 18 months, in three rotations.

The Government intends over time to withdraw the Defence Force's 140-strong provincial reconstruction team (PRT), which has been in Bamyan province since 2003.