KABUL – Afghan security forces battled militants in Kabul´s old quarterTuesday, with military helicopters firing above a mosque to quell anassault that was launched with a rocket barrage against the capital.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the assault, whichcame as President Ashraf Ghani was making a speech marking the first day ofthe Islamic Eid al-Adha holiday, days after offering the Taliban aconditional three-month ceasefire.
An Afghan army helicopter swooped in low over the street near the EidgahMosque in a central district of the city and fired a rocket on a militantposition, sending a plume of dust into the sky.
People who moments earlier had been buying livestock for the Eid feastcould be seen sprinting for shelter as cars swerved in the road to flee thefighting. Blasts and gunfire could be heard as security forces cordoned offthe area.
The mosque is near the presidential palace where Ghani was making hisspeech, which was being aired live on Facebook when the attack began.
The president can be seen pausing as multiple blasts are heard in thebackground, some sounding nearby, before stating: “This nation is not goingto bow to these rocket attacks.”
The attackers appeared to be in a building behind the mosque, which waspartially destroyed in another attack several years earlier and is notbelieved to have been in use for Eid.
Police said the fighting began around 9:00 am, after multiple rocketsstruck in at least two areas of Kabul. Footage aired live on broadcasterTolo News showed dark black smoke emanating from the area near the mosquewhile fire trucks and security vehicles rushed to the scene.
Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said police believe at least fourmilitants are involved in the assault. “An operation has been launched toarrest or gun them down,” he told AFP.
Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish confirmed that militants had takenover a building near the mosque and fired several rockets.
“Two people have been wounded. Security forces are fighting theterrorists,” he told AFP.
Danish later told Tolo that the militants were using rocket propelledgrenades and mortars to target parts of the city.
“Choppers are flying over the site and the security forces are busydefusing two explosive-packed vehicles at the site that the terroristwanted to detonate,” wrote interior ministry communications chief BaharMehr on Facebook.
A heavy security presence could also be seen near the Kabul Stadium. -APP/AFP