The most intense firefight near Kabul in months left 15 people dead on Wednesday morning, local police said.

Police Col. Haji Rashid said an unknown number of fighters charged an Afghan army base just south of the capital at about 7 a.m.

The attackers opened fire with automatic rifles. Soldiers replied with rocket-propelled grenades. The battle went on for three hours.

U.S. authorities say none of their forces were involved.

Eleven guerrillas were killed as well as three soldiers and a civilian.

Rashid had no information about about who the attackers were except to say they had come from the mountainous region to the south.