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People stood in front of a missile-damaged building after the November 21 morning attack in northern Kabul, Afghanistan – Photo: AFP
The missile attack in various areas of northern and central Kabul, including in and around the heavily guarded Blue Zone, occurred at 11:30 am on November 21, Vietnam time.
The Iranian embassy announced on Twitter that its main building was hit by debris thrown by a missile that landed inside the diplomatic mission. No one in the building, located on the outskirts of the Green Zone, was injured.
Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian blamed the Taliban, saying “terrorists” fired a total of 23 missiles. “According to preliminary information, 8 people died and another 31 were injured,” Arian said, noting that the number of victims could be higher.
Kabul Police Department spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz confirmed the same number of casualties and missiles, according to the AFP news agency. At least one missile crashed into an office within the Blue Zone but did not fire.
Images circulating online showed the damaged walls and windows of several large buildings, including the walls of a large medical complex. Alarm bells were also heard from embassies, according to AFP.
“The missile attack in the city of Kabul did not involve jihadists,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Under the US withdrawal agreement signed in February, the Taliban cannot attack urban areas. Any public involvement in such attacks could, in theory, delay the US withdrawal, although US President Donald Trump has said he wants to withdraw US troops regardless of the actual situation. geography.
The Taliban and the Afghan government held peace talks in the capital Doha and Qatar in September, but progress has been slow and violence is widespread. However, Afghan officials told AFP on November 20 that a breakthrough in the negotiation process was imminent.
The US State Department announced late on November 20 that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would meet with negotiators from the Taliban and the Afghan government in Doha.
Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced that it would soon withdraw some 2,000 troops from Afghanistan, accelerating the agreement signed in February between Washington and the Taliban. The United States is expected to withdraw all troops in mid-2021.
