Kabul. Commands .- insurgents, including several suicide today launched a multi-pronged attack on government buildings in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, hours after the Taliban promised to avenge the death of Osama Bin Laden. The most serious attack took place at the regional governor's office in the city, wounding at least ten people, according to Efe said an official source.
"At least ten people, including civilians and Afghan soldiers have been injured" in the attack on the governor's office in the province of Kandahar, spokesman of the political representative, Zalmay Ayubi. Some members of this command tried unsuccessfully to access a police station, but were shot or arrested by security forces, while the rest of the attackers barricaded himself in a hotel and continued firing from there.
Simultaneously, another group of insurgents attacked a building of the Afghan intelligence services and police complex on the outskirts of the city, according to the source, who said that during the day were recorded in total about ten explosions. A Taliban representative, Mohammad Yousuf Ahmadi, told Efe that the multiple attack involving "several combatants," including "suicidal" and said it caused major casualties.
The offensive, which lasted just over four hours before security forces regained control, comes shortly after the Taliban announced the death of the leader of the Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, "give new impetus" to their struggle. The Taliban have so far opted not to rule on the death of Bin Laden claiming lack of evidence to confirm.
Today, however, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid accepted as valid the confirmation issued yesterday by Al Qaeda that bin Laden was killed in an operation of U.S. special forces on Monday in northern Pakistan. Speaking to EFE, Mujahid called the death of Bin Laden a "great tragedy" for the Afghan insurgency.
The Taliban claimed that the U.S. is mistaken if he thinks that "moral and insurgent fighters will weaken" after the death of Bin Laden, and stressed that it "will lead hundreds to take the path of martyrdom and sacrifice." "The history of Islam always keep his memory alive," he said last night the move, in a statement.
These warnings are added to the announcement made last week by launching an offensive against NATO forces and Afghan government to mark the beginning of the spring season, when traditionally the fighting escalated. However, demonstrations of popular support for Bin Laden have not been many so far in Afghanistan, the U.S.
invaded nearly a decade ago, shortly after the 11-S in New York and accusing the Taliban - then in power-of sheltering on the Afghan territory to the leader of Al Qaeda. Currently in the country some 150,000 foreign troops, mostly Americans, but from next July, NATO will begin to transfer responsibility for security to Afghan police and army.
The transfer of this responsibility will end in 2014 if it meets the deadline, but NATO has said it will maintain its presence in Afghanistan after that date. Meanwhile, the Afghan Government is trying for months with little success to bring to the negotiating table to different insurgent groups.
Kandahar, a province in which NATO launched a major military operation in 2010, is considered the spiritual center of the Afghan Taliban and regularly hosts incidents of violence. Among the most recent being the April 25 escape through a tunnel of 500 prisoners from the political section of the prison in the provincial capital, most of them Taliban, and the assassination of the regional police chief in a suicide bombing ten days before. 
"At least ten people, including civilians and Afghan soldiers have been injured" in the attack on the governor's office in the province of Kandahar, spokesman of the political representative, Zalmay Ayubi. Some members of this command tried unsuccessfully to access a police station, but were shot or arrested by security forces, while the rest of the attackers barricaded himself in a hotel and continued firing from there.
Simultaneously, another group of insurgents attacked a building of the Afghan intelligence services and police complex on the outskirts of the city, according to the source, who said that during the day were recorded in total about ten explosions. A Taliban representative, Mohammad Yousuf Ahmadi, told Efe that the multiple attack involving "several combatants," including "suicidal" and said it caused major casualties.
The offensive, which lasted just over four hours before security forces regained control, comes shortly after the Taliban announced the death of the leader of the Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, "give new impetus" to their struggle. The Taliban have so far opted not to rule on the death of Bin Laden claiming lack of evidence to confirm.
Today, however, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid accepted as valid the confirmation issued yesterday by Al Qaeda that bin Laden was killed in an operation of U.S. special forces on Monday in northern Pakistan. Speaking to EFE, Mujahid called the death of Bin Laden a "great tragedy" for the Afghan insurgency.
The Taliban claimed that the U.S. is mistaken if he thinks that "moral and insurgent fighters will weaken" after the death of Bin Laden, and stressed that it "will lead hundreds to take the path of martyrdom and sacrifice." "The history of Islam always keep his memory alive," he said last night the move, in a statement.
These warnings are added to the announcement made last week by launching an offensive against NATO forces and Afghan government to mark the beginning of the spring season, when traditionally the fighting escalated. However, demonstrations of popular support for Bin Laden have not been many so far in Afghanistan, the U.S.
invaded nearly a decade ago, shortly after the 11-S in New York and accusing the Taliban - then in power-of sheltering on the Afghan territory to the leader of Al Qaeda. Currently in the country some 150,000 foreign troops, mostly Americans, but from next July, NATO will begin to transfer responsibility for security to Afghan police and army.
The transfer of this responsibility will end in 2014 if it meets the deadline, but NATO has said it will maintain its presence in Afghanistan after that date. Meanwhile, the Afghan Government is trying for months with little success to bring to the negotiating table to different insurgent groups.
Kandahar, a province in which NATO launched a major military operation in 2010, is considered the spiritual center of the Afghan Taliban and regularly hosts incidents of violence. Among the most recent being the April 25 escape through a tunnel of 500 prisoners from the political section of the prison in the provincial capital, most of them Taliban, and the assassination of the regional police chief in a suicide bombing ten days before.
- "Taliban unable to sustain attacks on Kandahar" and related posts (08/05/2011)
- Taliban multiple attacks kill 8, wounds 29 in S. Afghanistan - Xinhua (07/05/2011)
- Taliban stages assault in Kandahar; several hurt (07/05/2011)
- Taliban Attack in Kandahar (07/05/2011)
- Taliban launch multi-pronged attack on city of Kandahar (07/05/2011)
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