Militants stormed a building housing an global aid organization in Kabul, provoking an overnight firefight with security forces in which three gunmen were killed and six civilians were wounded, Afghan officials said Tuesday.
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Just hours earlier, a Taliban suicide double bombing near the defence ministry building in Kabul killed at least 24 people, including a number of senior Afghan security officials.
Authorities said militants used a auto bomb to gain entry to the well-guarded CARE office, located in an expensive downtown district, at 11 p.m. local time Monday.
The standoff, which lasted overnight after special forces surrounded the area, was mostly quiet with sporadic gunfire until the situation was resolved with explosions and shots in the morning.
Public Health Ministry spokesman Ismail Kawasi says another 91 people were wounded in Monday’s attack, which was claimed by the Taliban.
The latest incident struck a prosperous business and residential area of Kabul, home to several guest houses and where many foreigners and diplomats live.
Afghan security personnel keep watch in front of the entrance to CARE International charity organization following a vehicle bomb blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, September 6, 2016.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that 100 people were wounded in the bombings, and that five army officers were among the 35 killed.
Besides the three attackers killed, casualties included one dead and at least six injured, Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter. “The enemies of Afghanistan are losing the fight in the ground battle with security forces”, Ghani said in a statement.
Afghan security personnel investigate the site of a twin suicide bombing near the Ministry of Defence in Kabul on September 5, 2016.
“Right after the explosion, a huge flame rose and everything was covered with smoke, and then Afghan security forces arrived and blocked the area”, Ullah said.
The attacks come less than two weeks after gunmen stormed the American University in Kabul and killed 13 people.
Ashuqullah, 34, who like many Afghans has no surname, described the scene of chaos he witnessed.
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Defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said: “The first explosion occurred on a bridge near the defence ministry”. Among the dead, which included both security forces and civilians, were the head of Kabul’s second police district and his deputy, an official said. The insurgents have been fighting to overthrow the US-backed government for 15 years, and frequently target Afghan security forces.
