Kabul shootout

Afghan forces on Wednesday killed the last Taliban insurgents who launched a major attack on the US embassy, NATO headquarters and police buildings in Kabul, after a 20-hour standoff.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault in the center of the Afghan capital, which left 11 Afghans dead and 19 people wounded.

A spokesman for the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said three children were among the dead, and that six of the injured were foreign troops, three of those Americans.

The assault lasted some 20 hours, beginning just after noon on Tuesday when a car full of insurgents was stopped at a security checkpoint at Abdul Haq square near the embassy grounds.

Some of the insurgents reportedly detonated suicide vests, while another group entered a nine-floor building that was under construction and overlooked the embassy and NATO headquarters. The insurgents began firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at the complex.

Coordinated attacks

A series of explosions hit the nearby Wazi Akbar Khan area, where a number of foreign missions are housed, at the same time. Three insurgents also attempted to carry out suicide attacks before being killed by Afghan security forces.

Foreigners began running for cover in the heavily-fortified downtown area, as US helicopters provided air support to the Afghan security forces. The standoff ended when the last two insurgents in the building were killed.

The ISAF headquarters in Kabul oversees the operations of the bulk of the estimated 140,000 foreign troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Clinton and Karzai condemn assault

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the attacks would not harm Washington's efforts in Afghanistan.

"We will be vigilant but we will be continuing with an even greater commitment to give the Afghan people, who have suffered so much, a chance at a better future for themselves and their children," she told reporters in Washington.

"We will take all necessary steps not only to ensure the safety of our people but to secure the area and make sure those who perpetrated this attack are dealt with," she said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attacks but said they would not stop the process of transition from NATO to Afghan control of security in the country, "but rather embolden our people's determination in taking the responsibility for their country's own affairs."

Insurgents have staged increasingly brazen attacks on Western targets in recent years, most recently on the British Council last month.

In June, Taliban militants also stormed the luxury Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, sparking a fierce battle that left at least 12 people dead.

Authors: Darren Mara, Andrew Bowen (AP, AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Martin Kuebler