Save the Children attacked in Afghanistan

At least 11 people have been injured in an ongoing attack on the offices of international aid agency Save the Children in Afghanistan.

An explosion took place outside the organisation's compound in Jalalabad, authorities said. Gunmen then entered the building.

Local media have reported children at a nearby school were seen running from the area as gunfire was heard.

No group has said they carried out the attack, BBC reports.

But Jalalabad, near the border with Pakistan, is often targeted by Taliban militants and is a stronghold for Islamic State, with fighters active there since 2015.

The latest attack comes days after Taliban gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul killing at least 22 people, mostly foreigners.

At about 09:10 local time (04:40 GMT) on Wednesday, a suicide attacker detonated a car bomb at the entrance to the Save the Children compound, Ataullah Khogyani, a provincial government spokesperson told the BBC.

n eyewitness who was inside the compound at the time told AFP news agency that he saw a gunman hitting the main gate with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG).

Local TV footage showed a huge plume of thick black smoke rising from the compound and at least one vehicle on fire.

A group of armed men then entered the compound, and clashes between the attackers and security forces are still ongoing, Mr Khogyani said.

Save the Children carries out education, healthcare and protection work for Children in Afghanistan.