Afghan security forces foil attacks on government building, hospital

KABUL: Afghan security forces arrested seven suspected militants who were planning to attack a governmentrun hospital and an interior ministry office in the capital Kabul on Thursday, officials said.

The arrests come two days after twin blasts near government buildings in Kabul killed at least 26 people including nine journalists.

Hundreds of people have been killed and wounded in a series of high profile attacks in Kabul in recent months, exposing the inability of security officials and the government to pre-empt or prevent them.

Last month, the Taliban announced the start of its annual spring offensive or the fighting season, saying it will target US forces in Afghanistan.

On Thursday, officials at the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the seven alleged militants were interrogated and confessed plans to attack an old compound of the interior ministry and the Ghazi Amanullah Khan hospital that provides treatment to Afghan security forces.

The arrested men, according to the NDS statement, were brought to Kabul by a facilitator after they were equipped to mount attacks and become suicide bombers.

An NDS official said the seven youths were trained in different locations in Chaman district, situated on the Afghanistan-pakistan border.

— Reuters