Hours after President Obama addressed the nation from Afghanistan, a suicide car bomber and Taliban militants attacked a compound housing hundreds of foreigners in the capital.
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According to the Associated Press, the Taliban said the attack was a response to President Obama’s surprise visit just hours earlier.
At least six people were killed in the early morning attacks as blasts rocked the privately guarded compound known as Green Village that houses hundreds of international contractors.
A series of explosions and gunfire rang out near the eastern Kabul complex around 6 a.m., while shooting continued for hours later as another large explosion was heard coming from inside Green Village shortly after 9 a.m. A large plume of smoke was seen rising from the compound.
One of the first blasts was a suicide car bomb that exploded near Jalalabad road, which is one of the main thoroughfares out of the city, said Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi.
A station wagon that was driving past was caught up in the explosion and four people inside were killed, Sediqi said. A passerby and a security guard for a nearby building also were killed.
A young man who saw the explosion said the dead pedestrian was one of his fellow classmates.
21-year-old witness, Mohammad Wali said:
“I was walking to school when I saw a very big explosion. A car exploded and flames went very high into the air. Then I saw a body of one of my classmates lying on the street. I knew it was a suicide attack and ran away. I was so afraid.”
A local resident who saw the attack unfold said the attackers were disguised in burqas, which are robes worn by conservative Afghan women.
The explosions happened hours after Obama left Afghanistan for a quick visit to mark the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death. Obama spoke to troops and signed a pact with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to govern the U.S. presence in Afghanistan through 2024.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was planned Tuesday night as a response to Obama’s trip:
“This is a reaction to Obama’s visit to Afghanistan,” he said without elaborating. He said the target was a “foreign military base.”
The Green Village complex, with its towering blast walls and heavily armed security force, is very similar in appearance to NATO bases in the city.
(All photos courtesy of Getty Images)
