SAS involved in Kabul defence: Key

Prime Minister John Key says he will not alter his policy of secrecy over SAS operations despite reports about their response to Taleban attacks in Kabul.

At least 13 people were killed and 70 were injured in the attack.

Mr Key confirmed news reports that a small number of the SAS troops were among forces that took up positions close to the incident on Monday.

"No members of the New Zealand SAS were injured in the course of their involvement and I'm advised that was very limited," he said yesterday.

"All other NZ defence force personnel in Kabul are accounted for and safe, no other New Zealand defence personnel, other than those I mentioned already, participated in this incident.

"To the best of my knowledge they weren't involved in particular instances that caused harm."

He did not believe any New Zealanders had caused harm either.

A team of Taleban militants made an assault in Pashtunistan Square, an area that holds the Ministry of Justice, the central bank and the palace of President Hamid Karzai, about 6pm.

Two of the attackers detonated suicide bombs.

The SAS members were part of an operation responding to the attacks.

Within minutes, hundreds of Afghan commandos, soldiers and police officers surrounded Pashtunistan Square and attacked.

Some of the Afghan fighters were part of specially formed anti-terrorism squads.

The New York Times reported that a small group of commandos from New Zealand were the only Western soldiers on the scene, joining Afghan commandos in a gun battle.

It said one group of Afghan commandos said they had come straight from a training class.

Mr Key said he was not going to comment every time the SAS was involved in an incident.

"I am not going to act as a commentator on every one of those operations.

"Suffice to say there will be a wide range of operations they will be engaged in.

"But outside of that, I think it suffice to say that they are on deployment in Kabul, working alongside the Americans and other ISAF [International Assistance Forces in Afghanistan] forces and I expect them to carry out their duties to the best of their ability and at all times for their safety and security."

Mr Key said a foreign journalist had spotted a New Zealand badge on one of the SAS soldiers involved.