Afghanistan's presidential palace came under attack early on Tuesday.

Reporters were gathering at the palace in Kabul at the time for a news conference with President Hamid Karzai.

It wasn't immediately clear if Karzai was inside at the time.

Other government buildings in the city also came under fire.

School children walking to classes nearby were caught in the violence as government forces returned fire.

The Taliban is claiming responsibility for the attacks in a text message sent to reporters.

The palace lies in a district of Kabul which is also home to the headquarters of NATO-led forces and the CIA's Afghan station.