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Monday, December 24, 2018

Bomb blast rocks Kabul govt compound in ongoing attack: officials

Date created : 25/12/2018 - 02:16 GMT/UTC/ZULU TIME

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Kabul

by Sunita Kureishi and Biodun Iginla, France24, Kabul

Militants detonated a car bomb before storming a Kabul government compound in an ongoing attack Monday, officials and witnesses said, in the latest violence to rock the Afghan capital.

A number of gunmen have entered the compound where the Ministry of Public Works and an office of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled are located, interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

At least three wounded have been taken to hospital, a France24 correspondent at a medical facility said.

One had broken several bones after jumping off a building to escape the attackers. The other two were wounded by broken glass.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the raid that began with a bomb-laden vehicle exploding at the entrance.

Ashraf, a witness who works at the Ministry of Public Works and who goes by one name, said militants inside the compound were exchanging gunfire with security forces.

"They are also firing at the NDS facility nearby," he told us at France24 after escaping the compound, referring to the Afghan spy agency, the National Directorate of Security.

An Afghan security source told us at France24 that the gunmen had entered the office of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled.

The attack caps a tumultous few days for Afghanistan after an American official told us at France24 late last week that President Donald Trump had decided to pull out "roughly half" of the 14,000 US forces in the country.

The unexpected move stunned and dismayed foreign diplomats and Afghan officials in Kabul who are intensifying a push to end the 17-year conflict with the Taliban.

The assault also comes a day after President Ashraf Ghani appointed Amrullah Saleh and Assadullah Khaled, both former spymasters known for their anti-Taliban and Pakistan stance, to head the interior and defence ministries, respectively.

Militants have previously targeted government ministries and departments because they are often poorly defended and seen as soft targets.

Monday's attack was the biggest in Kabul since November 28 when the Taliban detonated a vehicle bomb outside the compound of British security firm G4S, killing at least 10 people and leaving a massive crater in the road.

While there has been no official announcement of a US drawdown, the mere suggestion of the United States reducing its military presence has rattled the Afghan capital.

Trump's decision apparently came Tuesday as US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban in Abu Dhabi, part of efforts to bring the militants to the negotiating table with Kabul.

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland (C) and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (3R) arrive to attend the second day of the Nato summit in Brussels on July 12, 2018 — Image captionCanada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland (C) and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (3R) are at the summit

by Isabelle Roussel and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Brussels

Nato leaders plan to turn their attention to the conflict in Afghanistan, on the second day of a Brussels summit so far dominated by demands from President Donald Trump.

Taliban militants reportedly killed up to 30 soldiers in attacks on Afghan army posts on Thursday.

Mr Trump has urged Nato allies to commit at least 4% of their annual output (GDP) to military spending.

Nato states are currently working towards a target of 2%.

The US leader also singled out Germany for criticism over its defence spending.

Nato leaders are hoping for a more conciliatory tone from Mr Trump on Thursday.

But in early-morning tweets from Brussels, the US president resumed his criticism.

He earlier accused Germany of being held prisoner to imported Russian energy, saying it is "totally controlled" by Moscow.

EU figures suggest Russia is responsible for between 50% and 75% of Germany's gas imports but gas makes up less than 20% of Germany's energy mix for power production.

President Trump's next stop after Belgium is the UK, where he will arrive early afternoon to begin a two-day working visit, which is expected to spark public protests.

Media captionTrump baby blimp ready to take first steps

What's the plan for Afghanistan?

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani will be present for the second day of talks, and Nato's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg hopes the bloc will agree to fund Afghan security forces until 2024.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May has already confirmed that the UK will send 440 more troops to serve in non-combat roles in Afghanistan.

The US also committed an extra 3,000 troops to support Afghan forces in September 2017 - bringing its total to 15,000.

A group of Taliban militant poses with Afghan Army soldiers amid a three-day ceasefire during Eid celebrations, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, 17 June 2018 — Image captionThe Taliban and Afghan forces held a brief ceasefire during Eid celebrations in June

US officials have said Washington is planning a strategic review, a year after Mr Trump agreed to remain involved in the 17-year conflict.

The US-led invasion drove the hardline Taliban from power in 2001, as part of a crackdown on Islamist militants after the 9/11 attacks in the US.

Thousands of Nato troops were deployed and a long, bloody conflict followed as the ousted militants fought back.

In 2014, Nato formally ended the combat mission, handing over to Afghan forces, whom it had trained.

Since then, the Taliban have made substantial territorial gains across the country. A BBC study from January found the group is openly active in 70% of Afghanistan, and controls or threatens more territory than before the foreign troops left.

On Thursday, officials in Afghanistan said the Taliban had launched an attack on a number of army posts in the northern province of Kunduz.

Earlier, dozens of Islamic religious scholars met in Saudi Arabia to discuss Afghanistan's war and called on the Taliban to renounce violence.

Is Nato still expanding?

Nato leaders will discuss the alliance's ties with Georgia and Ukraine. Both countries want to join Nato, but their bids are not expected to make progress.