Afghan and coalition officials say a nearly day-long Taliban assault in Kabul that ended Wednesday killed at least 14 people, including three children, and wounded some two dozen others.

Insurgents armed with suicide vests and rocket-propelled grenades first targeted NATO's headquarters, the U.S. Embassy, the Afghan Intelligence Agency and other areas on Tuesday. The assault is believed to be the longest sustained attack on Kabul since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

As part of the attack, six militants stormed a multi-floor building under construction on the edge of Kabul's diplomatic district, which provided them clear shots at the nearby U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters. There also was a simultaneous series of explosions around the surrounding neighborhood.

By nightfall Tuesday, NATO helicopters were circling over the high-rise construction site as Afghan security forces moved through the building in an attempt to subdue the remaining insurgents believed to be hiding there. Officials declared an end to the assault early Wednesday after killing the last of the militants.

A coalition spokesman said 11 Afghan civilians were killed in the Taliban attack and six NATO troops were wounded.

The Afghan interior ministry said at least three police officers were killed.

Both NATO and the U.S. Embassy said none of their staff were wounded in the assault.

In Washington, CIA director David Petraeus told U.S. lawmakers that a rocket-propelled grenade hit the U.S. Embassy complex, wounding four Afghans who were lined up to wait for American visas.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack and praised the effective response of the Afghan authorities. He said such actions will not stop the security transition in the country, but instead embolden the Afghan people's determination to take responsibility for their own country's affairs.

The assault came as NATO nations seek to transfer full security control to the Afghan military within the next few years. U.S. and NATO officials responded to the violence by saying it would not deter their resolve in continuing the transition through the end of 2014. Afghan security forces already have taken security control of several cities and provinces.