Rockets strike Afghan capital in latest spike of violence
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Rockets slammed into the heart of the capital of Kabul on Tuesday as President Ashraf Ghani delivered a speech marking a Muslim holiday, the latest in a series of brazen attacks that highlighted Afghanistan’s deteriorating security.
No injuries were reported from the mortar rounds that hit in the diplomatic quarter; one struck near the presidential palace, another near a NATO compound and the U.S. Embassy, according to police official Jan Agha.
In response, Afghan helicopter gunships bombed the house from which the rockets were believed to have been launched. Hours later, at least two militants were reported killed.
The booms of the mortar rounds echoed during the live broadcast of Ghani’s speech commemorating the Eid al-Adha holiday, and the president interrupted his remarks to say: “If they are thinking the rocket attack will keep Afghans down, they are wrong.” The attack came amid an unrelenting wave of deadly violence across the country in recent weeks and dealt another blow to Ghani’s efforts to revive peace talks to end the 17-year war. On Sunday, he had offered a holiday cease-fire, saying it would only take effect if the Taliban reciprocated.
An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility, saying its fighters had fired the shells that struck the heavily fortified Kabul neighborhood. There was no immediate comment from the Taliban.
The Interior Ministry launched an investigation into the security breach.
Former Interior Minister Noorul Haq Olomi blamed political squabbling inside Ghani’s government for distracting the president’s attention from security matters, allowing the near-daily violence by insurgents to continue.