Kabul, 28 October (AKI) - Twin attacks carried out by Taliban militants against a guest house and a luxury hotel in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday has killed at least 12 people, six of them United Nations staffers.

Reports by Afghan news agency Bakhtar said seven gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed the Bekhtar Guesthouse used by UN staff located in the centre of Kabul killing 12 people and wounding nine others. The attackers were reportedly carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles and one of them blew himself up.

Three of the UN staff who died are said to be employees of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan or UNAMA as well as three Nepalese nationals.

Hours after the first attack, rockets were fired at the foreign-owned Serena hotel in Kabul, popular with diplomats and foreign businessmen, forcing at least 100 guests to a bunker.

The hotel is located near the presidential palace.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attacks.

The Taliban said the attacks were just the beginning in disrupting the new Afghan elections due to take place on 7 November.