| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan |
| US Embassy in Kabul hit by Taliban rockets, no injuries |
| 2013-12-25 |
| NYT: KABUL, Afghanistan -- A pair of rockets fired by the Taliban struck the United States Embassy in Kabul shortly before dawn on Wednesday, sending hundreds of American diplomats and aid workers based at the mission scrambling into fortified bunkers to start their Christmas Day, the embassy said. There were no reports of casualties at the embassy. But Afghan officials said that another two rockets hit other parts of the city and that three police officers were wounded when one of the rockets, which had not exploded on impact, detonated as they were trying to defuse it. The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the insurgents, posted a message on his Twitter feed saying the Taliban had hit the American Embassy with four rockets and inflicted heavy casualties. But the Taliban routinely exaggerate the effectiveness of their attacks, and the embassy said no one there had been killed or wounded. Mr. Mujahid made no reference in his Twitter post to the attack's occurring on Christmas Day. The holiday carries little significance in Afghanistan, where there are almost no Christians, and the Taliban more commonly try to time headline-grabbing attacks to Islamic holidays. The embassy said it was assessing any damage that might have been caused by the rockets. It was not immediately clear which part of the sprawling and well-fortified compound in the center of the city had been hit or if any part of the embassy had been damaged. Staff members at the embassy were given the all-clear to move around the compound about two hours after the attack, which took place around 6:40 a.m. |
| Posted by:Anguper Hupomosing9418 |