Heavy fighting in Kabul after suicide blasts

[Zarvan]

Afghan police said gunmen and suicide bombers have attacked one of their compounds in western Kabul, and a gunbattle is ongoing between security forces and heavily armed assailants.

Police officer Mirzal Mohammad said at least one attacker blew himself up at the entrance to traffic police headquarters on Monday and a number of others wearing suicide vests had entered the building.

Al Jazeera's Jennifer Glasse, reporting from Kabul, said the attack happened just before dawn.

"There is an ongoing firefight and two large explosions have been heard," Glasse said.

Police sources told Glasse one of the explosions was caused by a car bomb.

The Afghan Taliban have already claimed responsibility for the co-ordinated attack, its spokesman said in a text message to media.

"Today at 5 o'clock in the morning [0130 GMT] a number of mujahideen martyrs entered a government building close to an American training centre... Heavy fighting is ongoing," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

 

[Sugarcane]

KABUL: NATO troops joined a fight against a Taliban suicide squad that stormed a Kabul police headquarters on Monday, unleashing a stand-off that lasted for more than five hours.

According to public health officials 18 people, most of them civilians, were wounded in the attack against the Kabul traffic police headquarters that began with a suicide car bombing.

Mohammad Ayoub Salangi, the Kabul police chief said two attackers, armed with assault rifles and suicide vests were shot dead as they tried to enter the five-storey building and "one or two" other gunmen were fighting back.

"Two attackers are killed by our police. One or two others are inside the building and fighting back. We have taken most of the building and we will clear the building very soon," Salangi told AFP from the scene in west Kabul.

Sediq Sediqqi, an interior ministry spokesman, gave a similar account and the Kabul CID chief, Mohammad Zahir, told local television that four police officers were slightly wounded in the attack.

According to witnesses a large pall of smoke was rising from the police building and sporadic gunfire and explosions, likely hand grenades, could still be heard.

An AFP photographer said Norwegian soldiers fired at the police building.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed its participation in the operation but insisted it was small.

"We do have a very small number of people assisting the Afghan security forces officials in the scene. It's primarily an advising role and absolutely the Afghan officials are in the lead," an ISAF spokesman told.

He refused to give further details.

A local resident told the attack started with a massive explosion that shattered the windows of nearby homes.

He said the initial explosion "very very big -- it was massive", and was followed by several other explosions and gunfire.

"There are firefighter trucks, ambulances and police all over the place. The gunfire comes from that direction and the building's top floors are on fire," he said.

Taliban insurgents, who are waging an 11-year war against the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai, claimed credit for the attack, which it said began at 5:00 am (0030 GMT).

"A large number of fedayeen (suicide bombers) entered a building in Dehmazang and are attacking an American training centre, a police centre and other military centres and have caused heavy casualties on the enemy," a Taliban spokesman said.

There is no US or NATO-run training facility in the area and the Taliban are known to exaggerate when claiming attacks.

Monday's attack comes less than a week after a squad of suicide bombers attacked the Afghan intelligence agency headquarters in Kabul, killing at least one guard and wounding dozens of civilians.

All six attackers were killed in the brazen attack on the National Directorate of Security (NDS), also claimed by the Taliban.

Taliban suicide squad attacks Kabul police building - geo.tv

 

[RescueRanger]

Afghan security forces run on the roof of the Kabul traffic police headquarters as it is attacked by insurgents in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. — Photo by AP

 

[unicorn]

Afghan security forces capabilities in big question as US forces are leaving from Afghanistan.It is in US interest to facilitate their Afghan counterparts with adequate military hardware

 

[Imran Khan]

go to hell terrorists these rats need to be throw in front of dogs after killing them

 

[xyxmt]

When is Karzai coming our with his famous investigative statement, "Pakistan Army was behind it", from his behind

 

[jnd3x0]

May God save the innocents from such events.

 

[Sugarcane]

 

[haviZsultan]

There is no doubt that the Afghan forces and police are improving. You can compare their performance now to their performance in their initial years.

RIP to the dead and hope the terrorists suffer. David Panetta was literally screaming his head off at us Pakistanis when insurgents attacked a US fort last year but when Afghan civilians die no one seems to care. Basically for the Americans these guys are the cushion, that expendable rabble that can be sacrificed in order to save their own men.

 

[Sher Malang]

Desperate Taliban didn't spared a traffic police department! killed 4 unarmed traffic police... the only matter that took this operation to end in 10 hours was to decrease the causalities of documents in the offices.

RIP to the brave Afghan traffic police!

 

[KRAIT]

Desperate Taliban didn't spared a traffic police department! killed 4 unarmed traffic police... the only matter that took this operation to end in 10 hours was to decrease the causalities of documents in the offices.
RIP to the brave Afghan traffic police!

What did you expect ? Taliban is backed by many people.

 

[Sher Malang]

What did you expect ? Taliban is backed by many people.

Your sarcasm is appreciated but seriously a traffic police department? WTF it only showed their desperation after 6 of their other bastards were killed by gate guards in less than 10 minutes last week.

 

[KRAIT]

Your sarcasm is appreciated but seriously a traffic police department? WTF it only showed their desperation after 6 of their other bastards were killed by gate guards in less than 10 minutes last week.

Well they are attacking govt. employees now. Those who can't attack back. These are soft targets. A ploy to weaken govt. by targeting its employees. Old trick.

 

[Sher Malang]

Well they are attacking govt. employees now. Those who can't attack back. These are soft targets. A ploy to weaken govt. by targeting its employees. Old trick.

Yeah true!

Some photos of Afghan police commandos:

 

[KS]

Impressive feat by the Afghan police (not the traffic police) if none of their comrades were killed while they managed to kill all the talibunny scum.

R.I.P to the dead traffic police men.