KABUL, —Taliban militants launched a series of coordinated attacks across Kabul on Sunday, targeting at least three neighborhoods in the capital that are home to Afghan government buildings, Western embassies and NATO bases.
There were no immediate reports of people killed in the fighting, although health officials said at least five people had been wounded. NATO forces said in a statement that as many as seven locations were under attack across the capital.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the ongoing assault in a text message to The Associated Press. He said a group of armed suicide bombers launched an attack on the NATO forces headquarters, the parliament building across town and a number of diplomatic residences in Kabul.
More than 10 explosions in all rocked the capital, and heavy gunfire shook the city for more than an hour after the initial blast. Smoke rose over the skyline from a few spots as sirens wailed.
Three other eastern cities also came under attack at about the same time Sunday, but there were few details and the fighting was still going on. The Taliban did not provide any information about attacks outside the capital.
The Kabul attacks began with bombings in the central neighborhood of Wazir Akbar Khan, which is home to a NATO base as well as a number of embassies, including that of the U.S. Gunfire erupted soon after the blasts, forcing people caught out in the street to quickly find cover. Smoke could be seen rising from a few buildings in the neighborhood as sirens wailed.
1.13pm:
There have been reports that nearly 400 prisoners escaped from a jail in northwest Pakistan in the early hours of Sunday morning after it was attacked by militants armed with guns and rocket propelled grenades, according to The News.
Some who fled the jail in the town of Bannu, near unruly ethnic Pashtun tribal areas close to the Afghan border, were militants, an intelligence official said.
According to Bannu Jail Superintendent around 500 militants attacked the prison in the wee hours.
One inmate who escaped was on death row for involvement in an attempt to assassinate former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, a second police official said.
Pakistan's al Qaeda-linked Taliban movement, which has close links to al Qaeda, said its fighters mounted the assault, which triggered clashes. Several people were wounded.
There were no immediate reports of people killed in the fighting, although health officials said at least five people had been wounded. NATO forces said in a statement that as many as seven locations were under attack across the capital.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the ongoing assault in a text message to The Associated Press. He said a group of armed suicide bombers launched an attack on the NATO forces headquarters, the parliament building across town and a number of diplomatic residences in Kabul.
More than 10 explosions in all rocked the capital, and heavy gunfire shook the city for more than an hour after the initial blast. Smoke rose over the skyline from a few spots as sirens wailed.
Three other eastern cities also came under attack at about the same time Sunday, but there were few details and the fighting was still going on. The Taliban did not provide any information about attacks outside the capital.
The Kabul attacks began with bombings in the central neighborhood of Wazir Akbar Khan, which is home to a NATO base as well as a number of embassies, including that of the U.S. Gunfire erupted soon after the blasts, forcing people caught out in the street to quickly find cover. Smoke could be seen rising from a few buildings in the neighborhood as sirens wailed.
1.13pm:
There have been reports that nearly 400 prisoners escaped from a jail in northwest Pakistan in the early hours of Sunday morning after it was attacked by militants armed with guns and rocket propelled grenades, according to The News.
Some who fled the jail in the town of Bannu, near unruly ethnic Pashtun tribal areas close to the Afghan border, were militants, an intelligence official said.
According to Bannu Jail Superintendent around 500 militants attacked the prison in the wee hours.
One inmate who escaped was on death row for involvement in an attempt to assassinate former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, a second police official said.
Pakistan's al Qaeda-linked Taliban movement, which has close links to al Qaeda, said its fighters mounted the assault, which triggered clashes. Several people were wounded.
No comments:
Post a Comment