NATO forces in Afghanistan on Sunday hailed the response of Afghan security forces to a series of attacks on the capital Kabul, labelling the assaults "largely ineffective".

"I am enormously proud of how quickly Afghan security forces responded to today's attacks in Kabul," said General John Allen, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

"They were on scene immediately, well-led and well-coordinated. They integrated their efforts, helped protect their fellow citizens and largely kept the insurgents contained."

ISAF has some 130,000 US-led troops helping the government of President Hamid Karzai fight a Taliban insurgency, but is due to pull out and hand control of security to Afghan forces by the end of 2014.

"The fighting goes on this evening, and ISAF is standing by to support our Afghan partners when and if they need it," Allen said.

"I consider it a testament to their skill and professionalism -- of how far they've come -- that they haven't yet asked for that support."

An ISAF statement said the attacks, "which were concentrated in three clusters around the city, were labelled by the Taliban as the start of the so-called 'Spring Offensive' and were largely ineffective".

"The attacks began just before 2:00 pm and consisted primarily of RPG and small arms fire.

"Afghan Crisis Response Units along with Afghan police and army forces deployed to repel the attacks that resulted in light casualties while killing or capturing many of the suicide attackers in a matter of hours," the statement said.