On Sunday, the militants targeted the US, British, German, and Japanese embassy buildings as well as the Western military alliance of NATO’s headquarters in some of Kabul’s most heavily-guarded neighborhoods.
They made an attempt at storming the parliament building, sparking a gun battle as lawmakers and bodyguards returned fire from the rooftop.
Afghan authorities said they had arrested a group of gunmen trying to assassinate Vice President Abdul Karim Khalili.
The vicinity of the presidential palace in the capital was also rocked by three loud explosions. The militants also stormed the Star Hotel near the president’s residence in Kabul.
“Fighting still continues near President Hamid Karzai’s presidential palace and near the Afghan parliament,” said a Press TV correspondent in the city.
He added that “the militants are heavily resisting. It seems that they are equipped with heavy, sophisticated weaponry.”
According to the Interior Ministry, 19 militants were killed, while 14 policemen and nine civilians were injured in the exchange of fire between the attackers and the security forces.
Meanwhile, in the eastern city of Jalalabad, one US-led trooper was killed when the militants attacked an American airbase.
The assailants also targeted government buildings and police headquarters in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Logar, and Paktia.
The Taliban have reportedly dubbed the attacks, the start of their ‘spring offensive.’
Roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices (IED) are by far the most lethal weapons, the Taliban militants use against Afghan forces, foreign troops, and civilians.
Insecurity continues to rise across Afghanistan, despite the presence of some 130,000 US-led forces in the country.
GJH/MF/HN
Views: 0