Kabul, August 04: At least five rockets have been fired into the heart of the Afghan capital Kabul in a rare attack that comes less than three weeks before presidential elections.
Police say at least one child was injured on Tuesday in what is usually one of the safest parts of the country when the rockets landed in the city centre, with at least one striking about 100m from the US embassy.
Said Abdul Ghafar, the Kabul police chief, said one of the rockets fell in a residential neighbourhood and at least one child was wounded.
A few rounds of gunfire followed the rockets.
A police officer in eastern Kabul said that it was not clear why the shots had been fired but that security forces were all on alert.
Al Jazeera’s James Bays, reporting from Kabul, said the rockets caused a lot damage and broken windows, according to witnesses.
Explaining that there had been hardly any rocket attacks in recent years, our correspondent said the fact that they happened at all and hit right in the centre of the city, surprised people and raised a new security threat as Afghans gear up for the presidential election to be held on August 20.
The attacks have cause people to lower their expectations of the polls and the election commission has said about 700 polling stations may not be open because of the security situation, our correspondent added.
Tuesday’s 90 minute rocket barrage comes a day after 12 people, including a child, woman and two police officers, were killed in a bomb blast in western Afghanistan.
Another 30 people were wounded, including Mohammad Issa, the district police chief, in Monday’s blast which apparently targeted the police chief.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack in the province of Heart, which, like the capital Kabul, has been relatively peaceful and prosperous.
New Nato chief
The attacks come as Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Danish prime minister, starts work as the new secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).
In his first major speech as the military alliance’s head on Monday, Rasmussen said that during his five year term he wanted to see “Afghans take over responsibility for security in most of their country”.
“Nato must and will be there in support. Let no Taliban propagandist try to sell my message as a run for the exit. It is not.
“We will support the Afghan people for as long as it takes. But … this means helping them stand on their own feet,” Rasmussen said.
–Agencies–