A powerful truck bomb struck the Northgate Hotel in Kabul in the early hours of Monday morning, security officials have said.

Taliban gunmen have reportedly stormed the compound, which is located close to the US-run Bagram airbase and houses international contractors. The Northgate is a heavily-guarded facility with blast walls and watchtowers.

The Taliban claims there have been dozens of casualties in the attack, but those reports could not immediately be verified. The blast was heard throughout much of the city and was followed by widespread power outages.

General Charles Cleveland, spokesman for NATO forces in Afghanistan acknowledged the incident but told news agency dpa he could not confirm the details of the attack.

Previous attacks

Foreign guesthouses have been a frequent target of Taliban attacks in the past. The Northgate has been attacked by insurgents at least once before, in July 2013.

The blast comes a week after a suicide attack on a demonstration by members of Afghanistan's Hazara community killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 230. The so-called "Islamic State" group claimed responsibility for that attack.

(DW)