KABUL – Demonstrated once again that no one and nowhere in Afghanistan is safe, Taliban militants mounted on Wednesday, October 28, a daring attack at a UN guesthouse in the capital Kabul, killing at least nine people.
“My profound condolences go to the families and friends of those who have been the victims of this attack,” said Kai Eide, the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan.
“It's more than that, it's also a loss to each and every member of the UN family here in Afghanistan.”
Officials said three militants wearing explosives-packed vests shot their way into the guesthouse in central Kabul around dawn, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Witnesses said they sprayed the guesthouse with gunfire and detonated grenades before blowing themselves up.
"One suicide bomber killed one of the women just as she was trying to get through the fire,” John Christopher Turner, an American who was staying at the hostel, told reporter.
“He blew himself up."
The militants killed six UN staffers, two security guards and a civilian before detonating their suicide vests.
The US embassy confirmed that at least one of the dead was an American.
Eight American troops were killed in Taliban attacks Tuesday, making October the deadliest month yet for US forces in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion.
So far this year, 445 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, according to an AFP tally based on that kept by the independent website icasualties.org.
Of those, 277 were Americans.
Only Beginning
Taliban claimed the deadly attack, saying it was only the beginning of a bloody countdown to new Afghan elections next week.
"This is the first step, as we have warned that we will disrupt the second round of the elections," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.
Taliban have called for a boycott of the presidential run-off on November 7 between incumbent Hamid Karzai and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.
The attack was the worst the UN has faced in Afghanistan.
It is also the sixth attack on the heavily-fortified capital in just over two months, demonstrating Taliban’s ability to breach the tightest security and hit their victims hard.
But the UN remained defiant.
"This attack will not, I repeat, will not deter the UN from continuing all its work to reconstruct a war-torn country and to build a better future for all Afghans," said Eide, its chief representative.
"We will remain committed to the people of Afghanistan."
Karzai immediately ordered security around international organizations in Kabul boosted as a matter of urgency, an implication that the violence is not about to stop any time soon, and foreigners are in the Taliban's sights.
"They can target anywhere they like, particularly central Kabul, the most secure part of the country," Haroun Mir, president of Afghanistan's Centre for Research and Policy Studies, told Al-Jazeera television.
"It is another signal that they will keep their promise to target the elections and certainly there will be more attacks before the elections,” he added.
"If the government and international community combined cannot provide security in central Kabul, how can they ensure that Afghans can vote in safety."
“My profound condolences go to the families and friends of those who have been the victims of this attack,” said Kai Eide, the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan.
“It's more than that, it's also a loss to each and every member of the UN family here in Afghanistan.”
Officials said three militants wearing explosives-packed vests shot their way into the guesthouse in central Kabul around dawn, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Witnesses said they sprayed the guesthouse with gunfire and detonated grenades before blowing themselves up.
"One suicide bomber killed one of the women just as she was trying to get through the fire,” John Christopher Turner, an American who was staying at the hostel, told reporter.
“He blew himself up."
The militants killed six UN staffers, two security guards and a civilian before detonating their suicide vests.
The US embassy confirmed that at least one of the dead was an American.
Eight American troops were killed in Taliban attacks Tuesday, making October the deadliest month yet for US forces in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion.
So far this year, 445 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, according to an AFP tally based on that kept by the independent website icasualties.org.
Of those, 277 were Americans.
Only Beginning
Taliban claimed the deadly attack, saying it was only the beginning of a bloody countdown to new Afghan elections next week.
"This is the first step, as we have warned that we will disrupt the second round of the elections," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.
Taliban have called for a boycott of the presidential run-off on November 7 between incumbent Hamid Karzai and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.
The attack was the worst the UN has faced in Afghanistan.
It is also the sixth attack on the heavily-fortified capital in just over two months, demonstrating Taliban’s ability to breach the tightest security and hit their victims hard.
But the UN remained defiant.
"This attack will not, I repeat, will not deter the UN from continuing all its work to reconstruct a war-torn country and to build a better future for all Afghans," said Eide, its chief representative.
"We will remain committed to the people of Afghanistan."
Karzai immediately ordered security around international organizations in Kabul boosted as a matter of urgency, an implication that the violence is not about to stop any time soon, and foreigners are in the Taliban's sights.
"They can target anywhere they like, particularly central Kabul, the most secure part of the country," Haroun Mir, president of Afghanistan's Centre for Research and Policy Studies, told Al-Jazeera television.
"It is another signal that they will keep their promise to target the elections and certainly there will be more attacks before the elections,” he added.
"If the government and international community combined cannot provide security in central Kabul, how can they ensure that Afghans can vote in safety."
IslamOnline.net & News Agencies
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