Taliban fighters attack U.S. Embassy, NATO buildings in Kabul

[News_Editor]

Taliban fighters attack U.S. Embassy, NATO buildings in Kabul

2011-09-14 01:16:59 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- Suspected Taliban insurgents on Tuesday launched coordinated attacks against several buildings in the Afghan capital of Kabul, including the U.S. Embassy and a NATO building, officials said. There were no immediate reports of fatalities.

According to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), a small group of insurgents attacked the vicinity of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and the ISAF headquarters at around 1.30 p.m. local time.

The suspected insurgents reportedly used small arms and rocket-propelled grenades from outside the compounds. Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces immediately responded to the attack, and were still on the scene hours later, ISAF said.

Reports indicate that the insurgents entered a building under construction near Kabul's Abudl Haq Square and opened fire against U.S., ISAF, and Afghan offices. According to Afghanistan's Interior Ministry, two attackers were killed while two policemen were injured.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack through its spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, saying that they targeted the U.S. Embassy, as well as other government buildings. "The operation began today at about 1:15 and is still going with foreign invaders and local puppets sustaining fatal losses and severe damages," he said. "The city is in turmoil and the people are running about in terror and shock."

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul confirmed the attack, saying small arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) were used in the attack. "We can confirm there are no casualties at this time among Embassy personnel," the Embassy said.

The attacks come just one day after the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes before crashing two of them into the World Trade Center in New York and another into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The fourth, United Flight 93, crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed.

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