Football News: Two UK women teachers saved by panic room as Taliban suicide bombers attack British Council in Kabul killing ten

At least five explosions reported at the compound of the education centre
Blasts come on the anniversary of Afghan independence from Britain in 1919
Two British women teachers and one South African sheltered in a sealed 'safe room'
New Zealand SAS carried out rescue operation

Two terrified women UK teachers hid in a panic room as the Taliban launched a suicide attack on the British Council in Kabul today that left at least ten people dead.They escaped unhurt but were said to be traumatised by the horrific assault, which coincided with the 92nd anniversary of Afghanistan's independence from the UK.
British Council chief executive Martin Davidson said: 'Clearly, they are deeply shocked. They were inside the compound for a very long period of time.'
Scroll down for videos of the aftermath of the blasts...

A British citizen is put onto a stretcher and carried from the wreckage of the building to a waiting ambulance

Afghan policemen carry a wounded colleague past British military vehicles at the site of the bombings

BRITISH COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE STATEMENT:

Martin Davidson said: 'We are deeply shocked and saddened at the events that have taken place in Kabul and our thoughts are with the families of those injured or killed in this appalling attack.
'When the attack took place, three staff from the UK were in the compound and are now safe.
'We have 25 Afghan-appointed staff, none of whom are based at the compound and none of whom are physically affected by the incident.
'We are working with international partners and the Afghan government to contribute to the development of the next generation of leaders in Afghanistan.
'Our work in education gives them the skills that they need to contribute to the development and economic well-being of post-transitional Afghanistan.

'Young Afghans want to be part of that wider world and they demand the skills, including English language, to be able to do this.
'This attack must not and will not prevent the British Council from giving those young Afghans the support they need to be part of that wider world.'

The women, who were working as English language teachers, were asleep when suicide bombers began their attack in the early hours of the morning by using a car bomb to blast through the walls of their compound.
They and their male bodyguard, believed to be South African, fled to the panic room as the insurgents holed themselves up in the British Council building and fought off Afghan and Nato security forces for more than five hours.
At least 10 people - including Afghan policemen, a security guard, an Afghan municipal worker and a member of New Zealand special forces - died in the attack on the west side of Kabul.
Britain's ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir William Patey, confirmed that all the militants were killed as well.
He said: 'This was a dastardly, cowardly attack designed to attack British interests, but ultimately ending in the deaths of many Afghans, and we regret the death of the Afghans in this.'
Prime Minister David Cameron had condemned the 'cowardly attack', and said he had spoken to the New Zealand PM to thank him for the role the country's special forces had played in defending the compound.
He added that the bombings would not halt the 'vital work' being carried out in Afghanistan.
The attack comes as Afghan forces have started to assume responsibility for security, a gradual process preparing for the expected end of foreign troops' combat mission in 2014.
By staging attacks in the capital, the Taliban hope to show that they remain a potent force despite taking heavy casualties from last year's build up of U.S.-led coalition forces.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack, saying strikes on specific targets show that the insurgents are weak and cannot stand and fight the Afghan national security forces.
There continued to be fighting this morning within the compound of the building with shots fired between security forces and insurgents, as well as news of three more blasts.
Heavily armed men forced their way into the building after two suicide bombers struck but then several hours later there was a third explosion.

At least eight people have been killed after two suicide bombers targeted the British Council in Kabul

Blast: A British security guard (left) and an Afghan policeman walk in front of the site of the explosion at the British Council

A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack. He added that the target was a British cultural centre and a UN guest house.
He said: 'Today is our independence day from Britain. They recognised our independence 92 years ago - today's attack was marking that day.
'Now the British have invaded our country again and they will recognise our independence day again.'

Afghan police said at least one other attacker got inside the compound and was exchanging gunfire with Afghan troops two hours after the initial blast.
Afghan and British troops were dispatched to the scene early this morning and made preparations to assault the compound.
The explosions took place in the early hours of Afghan Independence Day, which marks Afghanistan's full independence from Britain in 1919.

One of the two police officers who was killed is carried away from the smoking wreckage by his colleagues

British and Afghan security personnel quickly moved in to deal with the clash at the British Council

Despite the attack by the Taliban, bombings in Kabul these days are relatively rare

It was not clear whether the attack was connected with the anniversary.
Kabul police official Farooq Asas said a suicide bomber detonated a car laden with explosives.
A spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed the blasts had taken place.
The blasts shattered glass in buildings a third of a mile from the site, and gunfire and smoke were reported in the area.
Founded in 1934, the British Council is a registered charity and is described as the UK's international relations body.

According to its website, the organisation has had a 'long association' with Afghanistan.
Its current focus in the country is mainly on education and English language teaching, the website states.
The walled compound of the British Council, first established in Afghanistan in 1964, is located in an upscale residential area.
It consists of two buildings, one is a two-story building and the is other a single-story structure.
While violence continues to rage in many parts of Afghanistan, attacks in the capital are relatively uncommon.
In June, 21 people were killed at a Kabul hotel, including nine insurgents, with militants fighting Nato and Afghan troops for five hours with rocket-propelled grenades and suicide bombs.