Kabul - Afghan authorities on Tuesday
collected 43 bodies from a government compound in the Afghan
capital Kabul that was targeted by a suicide bomber and
extremists armed with assault rifles on Monday, officials said.
The attack began when the suicide bomber blew up his
explosives-laden car in front of a government building that
houses a public welfare department in an eastern neighbourhood
of Kabul.
Some of the attackers rampaged through the building of the
Ministry for Martyrs and Disabled Persons taking workers
hostage, and others fought a prolonged gun battle with local
security forces.
Health ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh said so far 43 bodies
and 10 injured had been transported by ambulances from the
attack site. One policeman was killed and three militants were
gunned down during seven hours of fighting inside the government
compound.
Afghan forces evacuated over 350 civilians from the building
before calling off the operation on Monday night. No militant
group has claimed responsibility for the complex attack that was
identical to previous attacks by Taliban insurgents on
government offices, foreign buildings, and military bases.
The latest assault came just days after U.S. President
Donald Trump said he was considering pulling out at least 5,000
of the 14,000 U.S. troops currently deployed in Afghanistan.
The possibility of thousands of U.S. troops leaving has
triggered confusion and panic in the Kabul government and
foreign missions who fear that sudden withdrawal would lead to a
Taliban regime who are fighting to expel foreign forces, topple
the Western-backed government and restore their version of
hardline Islamic law in Afghanistan.
But Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff who was in Afghanistan on Christmas eve was
quoted by local news channels as saying that the mission for
troops in Afghanistan continues without any changes.
“There are all kinds of rumors swirling around,” said Dunford
according to local news channels while addressing hundreds of
U.S. troops gathered Monday at a base in Afghanistan.
“The mission you have today is the same as the mission you
had yesterday," he said.