Kabul: Armed with rockets, grenades and automatic weapons, a handful of terrorists attacked the Kabul International Airport on Thursday morning, however the security forces managed to control the situation and end the raid after four hours.
According to Afghan Interior Ministry, the Taliban attack ended as four insurgents were killed by Afghan forces.
“The attack is over, and the area is cleared from the insurgents. All the insurgents who were holed up in an under-construction building were killed,” the AFP quoted a police officer as saying.
No one among Afghan security forces or civilians, was reported to be injured or killed.
Hiding in a half-constructed building nearby, four terrorists were firing rockets and grenades towards the ‘military side of the airport’.
The early morning attack was claimed by the militant outfit Taliban, with spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid saying the militant group was targeting the military side of the airport, reported the CNN.
The attack comes on a day when an unprecedented vote audit process is set to start and the NATO forces and Afghan Army are carrying thousands of ballot boxes from last month’s presidential run-off to Kabul.
An Afghan Army General told a news agency that the militants were also firing at the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) jets flying over the capital.
It may be noted that the ISAF jets are said to be airlifting some 40 percents of votes in form of ballot boxes to Kabul, according to the AFP.
Hence, the Taliban attack seems to be aimed at disrupting the vote audit process that has just saved the country from sinking into another abyss of political uncertainty.
fghanistan was saved from the grip of political chaos as both the presidential candidates – Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani – agreed to accept the results of vote audit, after weeks of discord over the last months’ presidential election.
The attack also comes just two days after a suicide attack in a market in Paktika province killed dozens.
The attacks pose a grave question about the security situation of the country as the US troops prepare to withdraw by the end of the year.