FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

News

Death Toll Tops 43 in Kabul After Spate of Attacks in Afghan Capital

Insurgents clashed with security forces near the Kabul airport, attacked a military base, bombed a residential area, and killed recruits at the capital’s police academy.
Photo by Hedayatullah Amid/EPA

VICE News is covering the ongoing fight for the future of Afghanistan. Click here for more from the Enduring Freedom blog.

At least 43 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded in a series of attacks targeting Afghanistan's capital Kabul within the last 24 hours, according to police sources.

On Saturday, unidentified gunmen clashed with Afghan security forces close to Kabul international airport in the Qasaba area. Kabul police sources told VICE News the attackers targeted the Counter Narcotics Police Department (CNPA), a police station, and foreign contractor company, firing rounds randomly at the different buildings in the same area. The death and injury toll from this incident was not immediately clear.

Advertisement

Hours earlier, the Taliban claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a joint NATO-Afghan military base in Kabul. Four fighters carried out the attack at NATO's Resolute Support mission on Camp Integrity in Kabul Friday night, authorities said. One attacker reportedly detonated a Land Cruiser full of explosives at the compound's entrance, while three others continued the assault at different areas of the base.

One international service member and eight Afghan civilian contractors were confirmed among the dead, NATO officials said in a statement.

Earlier Friday, a truck bomb ripped through a residential area in Kabul, killing eight and injuring more than 400, while in a separate incident later that day, a suicide attacker dressed in a police uniform shot at police recruits in front of the Kabul police academy, killing at least 26 recruits and injuring 27 others. The attack reportedly occurred as young cadets returned to the academy after spending the day with their families. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Related: Report: US-Funded Afghan Local Police Destabilizing Country, Empowering Militias

At least eight people were killed and 400 wounded when a truck bomb detonated in Shah Shaheed, Kabul, Afghanistan, in the early hours of August 7.

The attacks occurred despite the start of peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban last month. Civilian casualties have topped some 5,000 people this year, according to UN statistics.

Advertisement

Attacks have been on the rise in Afghanistan since the bulk of US and allied foreign troops pulled out of the country at the beginning of 2014. Local forces are now responsible for most security duties, although some 13,000 foreign personnel remain in the country to provide training and conduct counter-terrorism operations.

Meanwhile, the Taliban insurgency is currently in turmoil, following confirmation of the death of its leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar. Afghan authorities say he died in a Pakistani hospital more than two years ago.

Related: Family of Dead Afghan Taliban Leader Disputes Legitimacy of New Chief

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Watch the VICE News documentary, The Afghan Interpreters: