Militants attack American University of Afghanistan in Kabul

KABUL (Web Desk) - Explosions and gunfire rocked the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul on Wednesday, an official and students trapped inside classrooms told a foreign news agency, as the complex came under a militant attack.

"I heard explosions and gunfire is going on close by... our class is filled with smoke and dust," a desperate student told the news agency by telephone.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the assault, which comes just weeks after two university professors -- an American and an Australian -- were kidnapped at gunpoint near the school.

Dozens of special forces cordoned off the area after the attack started on Wednesday evening, when the private university is usually packed with students, many of them working professionals doing part-time courses.