Afghanistan presidential palace comes under attack by Taliban forces

Afghan security forces block a road near the entrance gate of the presidential palace in Kabul.
(Photo: Rahmat Gul, AP)

Suicide attackers have mounted a full-scale assault outside the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, reports USA Today.

Insurgents planted a car bomb early Tuesday and then took the fight directly to security forces outside the palace after infiltrating one of the most secure areas of the capital. All the attackers were killed while one palace security guard was wounded, officials said.

The chaos did not end there, however. In southern Afghanistan, a minibus hit a bomb buried in the road, and the explosion resulted in the deaths of 11 members of a family, including eight women, two children and a man. Two other men were also wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the Kabul palace attack, which came as reporters were gathering for a news event at which President Hamid Karzai was expected to discuss Afghan youths, as well as continuing efforts to open peace talks with the Taliban.

Further details via USA Today:

The palace is in a large fortified area of downtown Kabul that also includes the U.S. Embassy and the headquarters for the NATO-led coalition forces. Access is heavily restricted. It houses Karzai's residence but it was not immediately clear whether the president was in the building at the time and his spokesman did not answer his phone.

Gunfire started around 6:30 a.m. inside a heavily guarded area near the east gate leading to the palace next to the Afghan Ministry of Defense and the former Ariana Hotel, which former U.S. intelligence officials have confirmed is used by the CIA.

Kabul police chief Gen. Mohamad Ayub Salangi said three or four gunmen jumped out of their SUV and opened fire after being stopped by security forces while trying to use fake documents to get through a checkpoint. All gunmen were killed, and one palace security guard was wounded, he said.

A car bomb then exploded as it tried to enter the area. About 20 journalists took cover behind a religious shrine, pulling a schoolboy off the street who had been caught in the open on his way to school.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, declaring that the offensive had "brought death to the enemy". However, while Mujahid claimed the insurgents had caused "heavy casualties," Afghanistan's Kabul division army commander Gen. Kadam Shah Shahim said he knew of no deaths among security forces or civilians in the palace attack. Shahim said his forces killed all of the attackers after they jumped out of their vehicle and opened fire.

During the chaos, a camp lockdown was instituted by the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, at which point a short statement was issued in which the coalition said its forces had been ready to assist but were not called in by Afghan authorities. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy cancelled all consular appointments, advising all American citizens in Kabul to remain indoors. However, the Embassy offered no immediate comment on the incident.

This incident runs contrary to the Taliban's declaration that they are willing to open peace talks with the U.S. and the Afghanistan government. Just last week, the insurgent group opened an office in Qatar for possible negotiations. However, the group has not renounced the violent attacks that have plagued Afghanistan.