The Afghan capital Kabul came under coordinated attack on Sunday, with explosions and gunfire rocking the diplomatic enclave as militants took over a hotel and tried to enter parliament.
Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the multiple attacks.
Witnesses said suicide bombers had taken over the newly-built Kabul Star hotel, which was reportedly on fire in an area which includes a major U.S. military base, the United Nations office and the presidential palace.
Several other attackers tried to enter the Afghan parliament but were engaged by security forces and driven back, an official said.
They had taken cover in a building near the parliament and fights were ongoing, parliamentary media officer Qudratullah Jawid told AFP.
Gunfire and explosions were reported from at least three areas of the capital, including the diplomatic enclave.
As the attacks began, several large explosions and bursts of gunfire were heard near the United States embassy.
The incidents come as Taliban militants pledge their attacks as part of their annual spring offensive, heralding the so-called “fighting season”.
A Taliban spokesman in a mobile phone text message said “a lot of suicide bombers” are involved in the attack.
Gunfire erupted soon after the blasts, forcing people out in the street to quickly take cover. Smoke could be seen rising from a few buildings in the neighborhood as sirens wailed.
More than 10 explosions in all shook the capital, and heavy gunfire continued to shake the city more than 30 minutes after the initial blast.
Militants who had staked out positions in a tall building were firing rockets in different directions.
It was not immediately clear what they were targeting, but shots appeared to be focusing on the nearby British Embassy.
At about the same time, residents reported a blast near the parliament building across town.
A police officer in the area, Mohammad Assan, said there was an attack involving shooting near parliament.
Meanwhile, there were reports a Turkish military base on the outskirts of the city said the installation was under direct attack from mortar fire.
Turkish and Greek forces were responding with heavy-caliber machine gun fire.
It was the first attack in Kabul since a shooting inside the Interior Ministry in February in which a ministry employee turned a gun on NATO advisers and shot two soldiers dead.
Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the multiple attacks.
Witnesses said suicide bombers had taken over the newly-built Kabul Star hotel, which was reportedly on fire in an area which includes a major U.S. military base, the United Nations office and the presidential palace.
Several other attackers tried to enter the Afghan parliament but were engaged by security forces and driven back, an official said.
They had taken cover in a building near the parliament and fights were ongoing, parliamentary media officer Qudratullah Jawid told AFP.
Gunfire and explosions were reported from at least three areas of the capital, including the diplomatic enclave.
As the attacks began, several large explosions and bursts of gunfire were heard near the United States embassy.
The incidents come as Taliban militants pledge their attacks as part of their annual spring offensive, heralding the so-called “fighting season”.
A Taliban spokesman in a mobile phone text message said “a lot of suicide bombers” are involved in the attack.
Gunfire erupted soon after the blasts, forcing people out in the street to quickly take cover. Smoke could be seen rising from a few buildings in the neighborhood as sirens wailed.
More than 10 explosions in all shook the capital, and heavy gunfire continued to shake the city more than 30 minutes after the initial blast.
Militants who had staked out positions in a tall building were firing rockets in different directions.
It was not immediately clear what they were targeting, but shots appeared to be focusing on the nearby British Embassy.
At about the same time, residents reported a blast near the parliament building across town.
A police officer in the area, Mohammad Assan, said there was an attack involving shooting near parliament.
Meanwhile, there were reports a Turkish military base on the outskirts of the city said the installation was under direct attack from mortar fire.
Turkish and Greek forces were responding with heavy-caliber machine gun fire.
It was the first attack in Kabul since a shooting inside the Interior Ministry in February in which a ministry employee turned a gun on NATO advisers and shot two soldiers dead.
No comments:
Post a Comment