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Subscribe to RSSThe attacks on Western embassies in Kabul, the Afghan capital, raise questions about the competence of Afghan security forces. NBC's Sohel Uddin reports.
Updated at 11:36 p.m. ET: Heavy street fighting between militants and security forces in the center of the Afghan capital Kabul ended on Monday after 18 hours of intense gunfire, rocket attacks and explosions, police and government officials said.
Battles which broke out at mid-day on Sunday gripped the capital's central districts through the night, with explosions and gunfire lighting up alleys and surrounding streets.
"The latest information we have about the Afghan Parliament area is that the attack is over now and the only insurgent who was resisting has been killed," said the Kabul police chief's spokesman Hashmatullah Stanikzai.
The fighting at the parliament in the west of the city was the only pocket where militants were still resisting security forces. Earlier, at daybreak, security forces flushed out militants holed up near embassies in the heavily guarded diplomatic area.
NATO helicopters had launched strafing attack runs on gunmen hiding in a construction site overlooking the NATO headquarters and several embassies, including the British and German missions.
Elite soldiers scaled scaffolding to outflank the insurgents, who appeared to have dug them themselves in on the second floor from the top of the construction site. Bullets ricocheted off walls, sending up clouds of brick dust.
"I could not sleep because of all this gunfire now. It's been the whole night," said local resident Hamdullah.
The assault by the insurgents, which began with attacks on embassies, a supermarket, a hotel and the parliament, is one of the most serious on the capital since U.S.-backed Afghan forces removed the Taliban from power in 2001.
The Taliban said in a statement that heavy gunbattles were continuing in Logar province.
A Taliban spokesman vowed there would be more attacks after gunmen launched multiple attacks on heavily guarded Western embassies in the Afghan capital on Sunday.
The attacks are retaliation for the burning of Qurans at a NATO base in February, the murders of 17 Afghans allegedly by an Army staff sergeant and videos that apparently show U.S. Marines urinating on dead Taliban.
Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for Sunday’s assaults, one of the most serious on the capital since U.S.-backed Afghan forces removed the group from power in 2001.
"These attacks are the beginning of the Spring Offensive and we had planned them for months," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters.
Initial intelligence pointed to the militant Haqqani network, a Taliban ally that is fighting against the U.S.-led NATO forces. Four Haqqani insurgents were arrested on Sunday over an assassination attempt on Afghan Vice President Karim Khalili, an Afghan intelligence agency spokesman told Reuters.
The Taliban said the main targets were the German and British embassies and the headquarters of Afghanistan's NATO-led force. Several Afghan members of parliament joined security forces repelling attackers from a roof near the parliament.
The Taliban also claim to have attacked President Hamid Karzai's presidential palace compound, according to NBC’s Akbar Shinawar in Kabul, although that claim could not immediately be verified.
The Afghan National Security Forces said the attacks were "largely ineffective."
But Gen. John Allen, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, said that "no one is underestimating the seriousness of today’s attacks."
"The fighting goes on this evening, and (International Security Assistance Force) is standing by to support our Afghan partners when and if they need it," he said. "I consider it a testament to their skill and professionalism - of how far they've come - that they haven't yet asked for that support."
The Afghan Ministry of Interior told NBC News that 11 suicide attackers were killed across Afghanistan by Afghan security forces. In total, 14 police and nine civilians were wounded, it said.
NBC News reported that police captured two attackers with suicide-bomb vests and destroyed a car full of explosives near the Afghan parliament.
The U.S. Embassy was under lockdown and staff there were safe, spokesman Gavin Sundwall said. "The U.S. Embassy is currently in lockdown, following our standard operating procedures after hearing explosions and gunfire in the area," he said.
The U.S. Embassy also issued an alert message to Americans in Afghanistan, urging them to "exercise extreme caution" and "move to secure areas."
Taliban fighters also launched assaults in at least two provinces, a spokesman for the insurgents said.
The Taliban said in a statement three hours into the attack that "tens of fighters," armed with heavy and light weapons, and some wearing suicide-bomb vests, were involved.
The coordinated attack is bound to intensify concern in the run-up to the planned withdrawal of foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.
The assault appeared to repeat the tactics of an attack in Kabul last September when insurgents entered construction sites in several places to use them as positions for rocket and gun attacks.
Taliban spokesman Mujahid said it had been easy to bring fighters into the capital, and they had had inside help to move heavy weapons into place.
Afghan security forces, who are responsible for the safety of the capital, were scrambling to reinforce areas around the so-called green diplomatic section of the city center.
Attackers fired a rocket-propelled grenade that landed just outside the front gate of a house used by British diplomats in the city center and smoke billowed from the area after the blast, a witness told Reuters.
British embassy sources said staff were in a lockdown.
Ahmad Jamshid / AP
A NATO soldier runs to the scene of a attack by Taliban militants in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday.
Two rockets hit a British Embassy guard tower near the Reuters office in the city.
Fighting was going on at some facilities of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and near the U.S., Russian and German embassies, ISAF said via Twitter.
An ISAF spokesman said there were no reports of casualties in the attacks on possibly seven locations in Kabul, and the U.S. Embassy said in a statement all its staff were accounted for and safe.
A U.S. defense official who declined to be identified said the attackers were using mostly small arms and rocket-propelled grenades, and "perhaps even suicide bombers."
Three rockets hit a supermarket that is popular with foreigners near the German embassy, Reuters witnesses said. News channel Al Jazeera reported that smoke was seen rising from the German embassy.
Smoke rose from the vicinity of the embassy while women scurried for cover as gunfire crackled.
As the shooting went on, U.S. Army convoys could be seen coming to the area accompanied by Afghan police in flak jackets.
Attackers also fired rockets at the parliament building in the west of the city, and at the Russian embassy, a spokesman for the parliament said.
Most MPs had left the building before it came under attack, said a lawmaker. However, one of several who fought back from a roof, Naeem Hameedzai, told Reuters: "I'm the representative of my people and I have to defend them."
Afghan media said insurgents had stormed the Star Hotel complex near the presidential palace and the Iranian embassy. Windows of the hotel were blown out and smoke billowed from the building.
In the eastern province of Paktia, NATO helicopter gunships attacked insurgents holed up in a building next to a construction site while in the eastern city of Jalalabad, a witness told Reuters that the Taliban had attacked a foreign force base near a school.
One Taliban insurgent was killed, another blew himself up and a third was captured. A blast also went off near the airport in Jalalabad, a witness said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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This is so cool! Just think the new rules of engagement stop us from night attacks so that the good old Taliban can get their rest and attack us during the day or night. I just love it...the idiots in Washington, D.C. need to leave office and go live elsewhere.
Don't like "Rules" then the US Military is no place for you
In every war their are "RULES OF ENGAGEMENT",,,, from our own revolution all the way to Afghanistan there are "RULES OF ENGAGEMENT"
You folks stood by & let your own republicans & the Tea Party make total fools out or yourselves with this right wing ridiculous nonsense!
baystarter,,,,, It's best to keep the old ones out of the White House who put us in this frigging mess & failed to get us out of it for two terms, don't ya think?
The gravest military strategic failures on US History is on the Republicans Watch
I would like to invite you to look at past rules of engagement, in particular, take a look at WWII and reflect because Republicans and Tea Party types were not leading the country and I for one do not have a problem with the atomic bombs in Japan or the fire bombing of Dresden. On the other hand, what does any political party have to do with any of this? I do not think we should be involved in Afghanistan or as peace keepers anywhere in the world but when you decide to go to war, get in and get out and that means crushing the enemy. As far as rules in the military you must follow all lawful orders including the current rules of engagement but as a citizen who is not currently in the military my thoughts stand! Just ask President L. B. Johnson and the Democrates how well the war in Vietnam was prosecuted or are you to young to remember?
Jim...For someone who sounds so Rational you cannot still believe it is still "Republicans" or "Democrats"...Can you?
So who contributes to both Parties and who threaten to withdraw their support and turn loose the "Talking Heads" of War if any of our "Elected" officials don't "Toe" the One Party Two Face Line?
Obama is just Bush Jr. Jr......and they are all working for the same Super Corporations.
Jim-372206, would you please go take your meds and stfu. geez. Your liberal leftist leader Obummer, is leading this country into the 18th century. With all the slave talk and his class warfare he cant even focus on the troops HE put in Afghanistan. Yes, Obummer sent 30K troops to Afghanistan.
"Rules of Engagement"? Jimmy with that bugs bunny profile pic, I am assuming that you dont know the first friggin thing about military rules of engagement, or have you just become a fan of the Bugs since you had to retire from Seal team six?
oh btw, John McCain has more Man in his little pinky then you will ever possess. So before you criticize one of this country's true Heros, think about who has protected your pathetic a$$ from Communism.
MUW,,, Republicans are locked into a Cold War mentality,, Independents are against war & involvement much the same way as before WW2 with the "America 1st" party & today want isolation yet can't cut the umbilical cord with republicans
Yes it all about republicans & democrats ---- Republicans have no ideas with their giant military footprint, Cold War policies on steroids & democrats want to end Cold Wars & that giant military footprint leading us smartly into the 21st century
Yes it is definately all about democrats & republicans.... Democrats with a record of military successes & republicans with a record of military strategic failures
.
Johnny, name calling and finger pointing...ah just exactly what the GOP agenda is about...no facts.
You are the one who needs the meds.
Jim has great factual points and can spell well too.
Steven,,, Wrong pal,,, Republicans & democrats screamed to end that war, many didn't want to go including conservative Rock Star Idol machine gun waving draft dodging flaming coward Ted Nugent
Republicans drove Americans against other Americans was right wing electioneering political strategy of Nixon,,,,, the same strategy they use today
Old Ted would have you field stripped and hanging in his smoke house before you could pass your last bit of gas! Oh yea..... my goat still beats your Wabbit!
I went through the induction center with many who never returned from Veit Nam..... I will make Ted Nugent wet his frigging pants for his cowardly disgusting actions
I sure hope nobody is listening to John McCain, he's talking about more US involvement in Afghanistan, Iran & in Syria.
Afganistan,s ONLY income is from DRUGS !!!
Why we are there????
We spend billions to fight bunch of thugs ( Taliban) without
any sucsess...
Imagine we had to fight China or Russia???
And "who" do you think runs the "Drug" markets of Afghanistan? The American CIA / DEA / Military!
Google it.........and then you know the "Real" reason we are still in Afghanistan!
PS and they have been VERY successful with "that" mission. Up until our invasion the Taliban had reduce Afghanistan to supply less than 10% of the Worlds Heroin, now it's back to supplying well over 90%.
Imagine that........As the "Cops" Follow the Money Folks.... Follow the Money!
Let's see, we use unmanned drones to murder innocent women and children and call it an unfortunately casualty of war, they watch US soldiers rape and murder children and entire families, we disrespect their religion while practicing ours as blatant hypocrites, and generally have used their lands for the profit of the US military industrial behemoth that owns the US government. Pay backs are never fun eh kiddys? By the way, for your lovers of israel, why do you love a country that has spied on us, attempted to murder US officials, tries to steal land it has no right to, and even launched a full out military attack, intentionally, against brave US sailors to prevent the world from learning of it's treachery and deceipt. I know you follow a freaked out false version of the ministry of Lord jesus Christ but seriously, God could care less about the state of israel, it isn't the Israel of the bible, it in fact stands in defiance of God's will, and that arrogant spoiled child attitude of theirs is exactly why God took the Israel of the Bible from them and scattered them to their earthly fate with only one last shot at redemption, which they are throwing back in His face as we speak.
pull our troops home ! where they belong ! no aid too the Afghan's! control all in an out going supplies too them ! let them rot in there own mess ! do it now !!!!!!!
baystarter,,,,, It's best to keep the old idiots out of the White House who put us in this frigging mess & failed to get us out of it for two terms, don't ya think?
The gravest military strategic failures on US History is on the Republicans Watch,,, People like McCain screaming for more wars --- That is the reason we are still there & republicans still can't get rid of their archaic Cold War mentality
Do you suppose that Mr. Karzai has visions of Mussolini strung up by his heels at night while he sleeps off his opium induced slumber? Our.. that's right our.. you and I's puppet installed by our government.. whether it be dem or rep.. ours.. as the Americans.. the lovers of perceived freedom.. this is our mess. I ask a question.. Do we really have any input into how our country operates on the world level? Our government is out of control.. but .. in my opinion.. the American people are as powerless as the OWS to reign it in.
Yeah, like these attacks wouldn't be happening if a few copies of the Koran hadn't been tossed in the garbage.
I don't blame the U.S. for having come to Afghanistan. After the 9/11 attacks, some powerful response was necessary towards a nation which had hosted Al Qaeda.
I also do not blame Obama for escalating the war in 2009. Afghanistan had been neglected for too long, and Osama bin Laden was still at large.
But now Osama bin Laden is dead [cheers!], and we have given the government in Kabul a fair chance to establish its authority throughout the nation.
It has now been more than 10 years. Enough is enough. We need to follow our time table and get our troops out.
With all these military strategists exposing their take on the foreign affairs of the good ole USA, we should have had this War on Terror rapped up by now! Since we just need to "google it"and we can find the real truth about anything, I don't know why we all don't just go stfu and let the bloggers handle all our foreign diplomacy.
Guys, jim is another typical fool who eats up ALL the bs indoctrination of the left wing media. To whomever above said to stop the fighting between republicans and democrats is right. Were going to war against ourselves, but the dems need to raise their moral standards and play fair. They cheat and the know it, and are ok with it. Jim, you knopw Bugs Bunny tried to vote for obama through acorn right? Along with daffy duck and several other cartoon characters. You really ok with that? Come on jim, show everybody on here that you're ok with cheating to win. It's not ok and will lead to a more immoral society. Bad for everyone.
Hmm with your Nickname I would think you would be more "enlightened"..........
As Jim stated above the "Worse" Governmental failures in American History happened on the "So Called" Republican Parties watch under George Bush Jr.
But as I have said before THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE in the One Party System and to think otherwise in 2012 appears to be blatantly "unenlightened" to me!
So Please quit being "Cheer Leaders" and try to be "Americans" First!
Who's cheating & for what reason would someone be cheating?
You really have no tolerance for reason, experience & facts do you enlightened 1?
To enlightened 1, it was George Bush who used Loony Tune drawings to go to war in Iraq?! They had drawings of trucks that produced weapons of mass destruction, and not real pictures, only cartoon type drawings?! That means they don't have weapons of mass destruction if you fabricate the evidence!? It was stupid and a lot of people are dead cause of it!? I know you want McDonald's foods to be good for you?! I know you want that but the truth is to much of McDonald's will make you sick if you eat it every day breakfast, lunch, and dinner?! Do you understand soldier?! I understand that conservative thinking made this country strong, but everybody became conservative like the Chinese who are running things?! You have to think like daggers and swords out of the box!? It's not about being fair it's about getting it right!? A conservative can use common sense to get?! What do you call them liberals?! To listen by first coming out of the box!? We have to take down number two Al Qaeda the doctor, before we leave this god forsaken place!? Then you can eat all the McDonald you want?!
Ahhhhh....... I think we have no tolerance for your opinion. Since this is America, your allowed to it. Its just that not everyone has to agree with it. In fact I think you are under a misconception that because you think your opinion is fact we all should just take for fact. I dont expect everyone to agree with me, although Montauge I would take the pictures of thousands of Iranians and Kurds shriveled up and grotesquely misshapen was the effect of bad water. A bad case of Montezuma's revenge? This election will make the next generation, as an Independent Im not sure the dems are the people I want running it. Remember I live in Detroit.......I see everyday what the Dems have to offer.
They need to get our troops and civilians out of there
We need to get our troops and civilians out of there NOW!
It's not Saigon Tutu... We are getting out in 2014, perhaps a bit sooner.... But "NOW"? Come on now, think
We still have one more al qead leader left?! The second in command, the doctor?! If we pull out now we're telling him it's okay to kill Americans?! Show some Nuts okay!? Support the troops no matter what?! I hated Nixon but I loved my fellow soldiers!? If anything it is a message for Karzi that your people can't protect you and sooner or later you will be assassinated by the hand of your own men?! NATO are the only friends you got, bloke!? You go ahead and put your trust in those half Afghanistan, half Taliban, half Al Qaeda, and Karzi you can kiss your presidency goodbye!?
As long as their young still want and use computers, cell phones etc and log onto the world wide web ...soon they'll want to crawl out of those caves into the real world. So why not just let them to their own accord for a few more generations and watch the just the rest of the world without trying to shove our values down their unwilling throats !! No need to waste all this blood and money on something time will fix...
the tailban will prevent the use of all those wonderful inventions...........punishable with death
The right wing is really getting loony,, After all these years they still haven't figured out jack about squat
Hurry please!!!!....... burn some more Korans, it brings the rats out of the woodwork!!!! Help them to die being fools!!!
The silver lining to all of this will be when the Taliban rip your puppet Kharzai to pieces.
To enlightened 1, it was George Bush who used Loony Tune drawings to go to war in Iraq?! They had drawings of trucks that produced weapons of mass destruction, and not real pictures, only cartoon type drawings?! That means they don't have weapons of mass destruction if you fabricate the evidence!? It was stupid and a lot of people are dead cause of it!? I know you want McDonald's foods to be good for you?! I know you want that but the truth is to much of McDonald's will make you sick if you eat it every day breakfast, lunch, and dinner?! Do you understand soldier?! I understand that conservative thinking made this country strong, but everybody became conservative like the Chinese who are running things?! You have to think like daggers and swords out of the box!? It's not about being fair it's about getting it right!? A conservative can use common sense to get?! What do you call them liberals?! To listen by first coming out of the box!? We have to take down number two Al Qaeda the doctor, before we leave this god forsaken place!? Then you can eat all the McDonald you want?!
..the attacks were in response to the burning of Korans...yeah right.....like any excuse won't due...
We can't help musliims if they don't want help.Spray all the poppy fields with roundup and leave.Next time they get to brave,we bomb their butts down and let them rebuild it without our foreign aid and assistance. Bring ALL our troops from ALL countries home and place them on the mexican border for training and manuvers to protect America.
I'm Sorry but there is no difference in the "one Party" and until Americans stop "Cheering" for their Favorite Corporate DNC / RNC Clowns this "American Divide" is only going to get worse!
Democrats take their "Marching" orders from the same people as the Republicans. They continue the same policies and support the same attacks on Americans Freedoms if you judge them by what they did / do instead of what they said to get elected!
Divide and Conquer in the real objective of the "One Party System"!
PS Who is one of the largest Military Contractors in the World? Who is President Obama's #1 Favorite Corporate Supporter and America's "Employment" Czar?
I'll give you a hint...Jeffrey Immelt CEO of GE!
Coincidence? I don't think so........GE has made Billions off of the Afghanistan / Iraq Wars!
Yet it's republicans & Romney who tell us now "THE CORPORATION IS THE PEOPLE"
Don't quite figure with your logic does it MUW?
Republicans, the Tea Party & libertarians have surrendered all their so called strong principled values to support Romney
interesting post.. could provide some examples??
I had never considered GE as part of the Military Industrial Complex.. but .. yes obviously they are.
Classic example of when a republican is against the Free Market Capitalism.... When it opposes their political support for a bad agenda
Knothing like making friends all over the world.How much have we spent?How many have died?
Both partys in washington blow! We need term limits.
They have term limits.... Duuuh, just don't reelect them
Haven't you ever noticed something a bit odd about that "Term Limit" rhetoric? ---- It was just to incite the masses. Federal judges get life appointments --- Every one else is "elected to term limits", it's even in the US Constitution
Kinda like this "Limited Government" garbage,,,,, Our government is already limited by design & it stays that way
We have 3 independent branches of government with 2 independent houses of Congress,,, That keeps government limited
People & political action groups from the ACLU to the NRA keeps government limited
At least that is the way it was until today's republicans gave the country & our Constitution to the corporations
Wow Jim..
I had no idea!! They gave it to them....?? I would have thought the capitalist bast-rds would have sold them!!
I've got nothing against capitalism, after all everyone who comes here comes here for the betterment in living conditions it gives them... Everyone who likes HD TV, cell phones & a living wage is a capitalist at heart
What I can't stand are today's republicans who have broken one of the legs of Capitalism, "Fairness"... Without social policies, fairness it collapses into the worse kind of Elite Socialism for only the wealthy in power.... Innovation & competition are two other legs republicans have broken... They fight against Anti-Trust laws that defend competition, they shout "Too much Federal Govenemnt"
Those conditions you can see in communist dictatorships
Sir. . am to take it that you are comparing our present system to a communist dictatorship? In which case I would be motivated to be aggressively agreeing.
Let Israel take them over please!
I know terrific AMERICANS who work, have health problems but get zero help but yet we can always pour billions into another country.
Wish we were more like Canada. Too cold though!
I have an old saying there's nothing like money in your pocket during time of peace!? We got to get the doctor number #2 man of al qaeda...
We got number one it's time to get number two!?
I really like reading the comments on here. Theres a lot of good ones. Sadly I think it's true that a lot of those countries can't be changed much to make them more "normal". I'm in college and have a friend who's about to be shipped to Afghanistan within the next few weeks, and one friend who's already there. It's easy to look on the situation from the outside and think everyone involved, Americans, Iranians, Afghans, are all nuts..
For those involved I wonder what they think. For whatever reason, my friends absolutely enjoy what they do. I dont know what the Afghans and Terrorists think, but I hope they know how absolutely relentless American soldiers are. My friends are willing to die not just for our freedom, but for the freedom of the Afghans. Respect the will, and respect the force. American forces aren't suicide soldiers who are blindly willing to die, they're tactical warriors doing what they're trained to do, and they are the best on the planet at what they do.
Whatever our main reason as a country for being involved there, (and theres many) I hope it ends soon. I want to hang out and be able to legally have a drink at the bar with my friends.