British paratroopers came under fire in the Afghan capital last night when they helped to foil a robbery attempt.
A spokesman for the British-led multinational force in Kabul said there were no casualties from the firefight, the second time in less than a week British forces have said they had been shot at in the capital.
Residents in western Kabul said armed thieves were trying to steal electric cables when Afghan police tried to apprehend them. The thieves opened fire and Afghan police responded. A patrol from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) arrived quickly and joined the firefight.
On Saturday, British forces said an observation post in western Kabul had come under fire from an unidentified source and paratroopers returned fire, killing a young man and wounding four others, including a pregnant woman.
But Afghan police later said no shots were fired at the post and British troops had opened fire on an innocent family taking a pregnant woman to hospital.
The latest shooting incident underscores the poor security in Afghanistan and the huge challenge facing interim leader Mr Hamid Karzai as he tries to bring peace to a country devastated by more than 20 years of war.
ISAF, a force of around 4,000 troops, is deployed under a six-month UN mandate to help maintain security in the capital during the term of the interim administration.
Mr Karzai has asked the international community for the force to be extended to other parts of the country while his administration struggles to build a national army and police force.