Heavy explosions and gunfire rocked the military side of the Kabul airport, which is also used as an operational base by NATO-led troops. Loud explosions and sporadic bursts of small-arms fire erupted for at least four hours after the attack woke up residents of the Afghan capital at about 4:30 am local time, from the direction of the military headquarters after a group of suicide bombers entered an under-construction five-storey building.
Two suicide bombers blew themselves up and all five other attackers were killed in fighting as elite Afghan troops stormed the half-built building where the militants had holed up.
Three suicide vests were found at the scene where the insurgents used rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and machine guns to fend off Afghan forces and attack the airport on the northeast side of Kabul.
The Taliban claimed responsibility, with the group's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying a number of suicide bombers had struck the airport's portion used by the US military.
Formerly, Taliban had announced the start of their annual "spring offensive" against the US-backed government, vowing a nationwide series of attacks as foreign troops withdraw.
In a statement released via email, the group promised violence that would include "insider attacks" by fighters and "special military tactics" to target international airbases and diplomatic buildings to inflict maximum casualties.
It depicts that Taliban are definitely keeping their proclamation and pursuing their target. Nevertheless, the government’s necessary preparation and a coordinated joint effort to be taken seem non-existent. Despite state’s security apparatus tried its best foiling the attack to a greater extent on many occasions –the non-providence of necessary information about the Taliban’s advances is a clear reflection of loopholes in security institutions.
Kabul previously came under attack in the former month, when Taliban militants launched a coordinated suicide and gun attack on a compound of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The incident of Afghan soldier shooting dead two US soldiers and one US civilian in the eastern province of Paktika, is the latest “insider attack” to undermine efforts by the two armies to work together to defeat the Taliban insurgency.
In another former attack to shake confidence in Afghanistan’s prospects after 2014, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offices in the eastern city of Jalalabad were attacked on May 29. The two-hour assault, which left one Afghan guard dead, was the first time ICRC offices have been targeted in Afghanistan since the aid organization began work in the country 26 years ago.
Taliban portray dominant might by launching consecutive strikes at will on important foreigner installations and governmental institutions and have succeeded deploying number of insurgents in ANA and ANP that execute insider attacks. In spite of arbitrary release of large number of Taliban members, negligible shift in their violent attitude is observed.
Taliban show-off their military might by launching such attacks and pushing the government to the table of negotiation. Government must use its maximum discourse curtailing such attacks by improving the system of information sharing network.