Fighting over in Kabul, all militants killed: Afghan official

Kabul, Apr 16: Afghan security forces have killed all the Taliban attackers who unleashed a wave of coordinated suicide attacks targeting diplomatic area, NATO bases and the Parliament in Kabul, a top official said today.

"The battle is over in Kabul... All the three places in Kabul were cleared and all the militants were killed," Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Siddiq Seddiqi told PTI.

Seddiqi did not provide details on the casualties but said more than 20 militants were killed. He said Afghan police personnel and civilians were also killed in the multiple attacks, which was claimed by Taliban. Earlier, Seddiqi had said that 14 policemen and nine Afghan civilians were among the injured.

"The fighting ended at 7:20 Kabul time (this morning) and all the roads are open now," he said. Kabul and three other Afghan cities were hit by a wave of suicide attacks yesterday, with embassies and NATO bases coming under fire in what Taliban said was the start of their "spring offensive."

Afghan security forces, which is responsible for the capital's security, took the lead in countering the assault. As militants attacked the city's diplomatic enclave, the US, British, German and Japanese embassy compounds also came under fire. All the staff in the missions were reportedly safe.

The militants attacked Kabul Star Hotel in Wazir Akhbar Khan area of the capital and some tried to storm the Afghan Parliament firing rockets but were engaged by security forces and driven back.

The Parliament was in session and some MPs joined security forces in fighting them. The militants also struck at cities in three provinces - an airport in Jalalabad, Logar and Paktia.

PTI