Afghanistan: 14 rockets land in Kabul; five dead, 21 injured
As many as 14 rockets landed in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday, taking the lives of five people and injuring 21, said reports. According to TOLO News, the rockets landed in Kabul after two blasts occurred in Chehel Sutoon and Arzaan Qeemat areas. In the Arzaan Qeemat area, one security personnel died, and three were injured. Taliban denied having any hand in the attack.
500 families hit, informed the Interior Ministry
Fourteen rounds of ammunition were fired, the Interior Ministry said, at 10th District, Chahar Qala Power Tower, Taheri Alley, Nemat Plaza, near Salam University, Golsorkh Crossroads, 4th District, Sadrat Crossroads, Public Garden Bridge, Spin Zar Road, near the National Archive, 2nd District, and Maryam High School. A total of 500 families in the 11th district were hit.
People were seen running on the streets
In videos, that surfaced on social media, people were seen running in a frantic manner. A few cars were seen parked in the middle of the road, while the first responders tried to douse the fire in several spots. Citing sources 1TVNewsAF reported that the Green Zone was compromised. The Green Zone is a heavily-fortified area that houses several international companies and key offices.
Here are some visuals from the spot
Not long ago, Kabul University was attacked; 22 died
Saturday's attack comes after a similar incident on November 13, when a suicide car bomb exploded at Kabul's Western entry gate. In the attack, three soldiers were killed and four others suffered injuries. On November 2, 22 people were killed and another 22 were injured after gunmen stormed Kabul University and rained bullets. ISIL took the responsibility for the gruesome incident.
Attack comes ahead of Pompeo's talks with Afghan government, Taliban
The attack in Kabul comes just ahead of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Qatar, where he will speak to Taliban and Afghan government negotiators. Pompeo will talk to both parties separately. This visit assumes significance as the outgoing President Donald Trump wants to speed up the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. His Presidential term ends on January 20.
US wants to pull out 2,000 soldiers from Afghanistan soon
This week, Pentagon said it would soon withdraw 2,000 troops from Afghanistan, falling in line with the February agreement between the US and the Taliban. Washington hopes to bring all its soldiers home from the foreign country by mid-2021. While the Taliban and Afghanistan are talking for the first time, they have not been able to agree on all issues.
Talks are underway but Taliban's attacks haven't stopped
Despite the talks, the Taliban has continued to attack Afghanistan, with civilians suffering the most. In the last six months, the Taliban orchestrated 53 suicide attacks and 1,250 explosions. A staggering 1,210 civilians died and another 2,500 were injured in these attacks. Though the Taliban has assured it won't attack urban areas, the Kabul administration has blamed it for bloodshed in recent days.
