Kamikaze attack in Kabul,

battle near government buildings

KABUL – Day of blood today in Kabul, with the Taliban who have launched a series of terrorist attacks in the heart of the city. Insurgents struck in the central area of ​​the capital, where the main public buildings, the banks, the luxurious hotel Serena and the presidential palace stand. About twenty Taliban took part in the action, led by Mullah Muhammad. Among explosions and gunfights, a dozen terrorists, one secret service member, two police officers and three civilians, including a child, lost their lives. The wounded, on the other hand, would be around seventy. Among these – sources close to the government report – there are numerous passers-by, especially women and children.

The attack began in the morning, when a group of men armed with bombs and explosive vests sowed panic near the residence of President Hamid Karzai, where everything was ready for the oathing ceremony of 14 ministers of the future government. The center has been hit by a series of rockets, explosions and firefights, which have turned towards very specific objectives: the Central Bank, the ministries of Finance, Repository and Justice, the Serena hotel (where journalists and humanitarian workers are staying foreigners) and two important shopping centers.

A strong explosion caused a fire in the building of Afghan Telecom, a fixed and mobile telephone company promoted by the Afghan Ministry of Telecommunications. The Afghan police and NATO forces responded to the attack, opposing the terrorist offensive for several hours. The situation came back under control only in the late afternoon, thanks to the intervention of hundreds of NATO soldiers.

Afghan security sources told the Pajhwok news agency that four insurgents “were eliminated” in Faroshgah (one of the two shopping centers), two in the Ariana cinema and a seventh in front of the Gulbahar Business Center. A suicide bomber blew himself up in a Maiwand hospital vehicle. The ambulances carrying the wounded ended up several times in the midst of armed clashes between the Taliban and the police.

And while the gunfire went off, President Karzai was sworn in by 14 of the 25 ministers who will make up the new government. To his collaborators, including the ministers of Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs and Finance, Karzai said: “When you take on the job, you have to be ready to face any kind of tragedy.” Today’s multiple attacks represent a blow to the credibility of the president and the future government: with their action, the Taliban have demonstrated for the umpteenth time that the national security links are still too wide.

(January 18, 2010)