A rocket exploded near the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, early Wednesday, the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
A plume of smoke rose over central Kabul shortly after midnight and sirens could be heard. Inside the embassy, employees heard this message over the loudspeaker: “An explosion caused by a rocket has occurred on compound.”
Officials gave the all-clear about an hour after the blast and reported no injuries. The NATO mission, which is nearby, also said no personnel had been injured.
The attack was the first major action in Kabul since President Trump announced Monday that peace talks with the Taliban to end America’s longest war are “dead.” Over the weekend, Trump abruptly canceled planned meetings with Afghan and Taliban leaders at Camp David. The Taliban had claimed responsibility for two car bombings last week, one of which killed an American soldier.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Al Jazeera that Trump would regret turning his back on peace talks. “We had two ways to end the occupation in Afghanistan. One was jihad and fighting, the other was talks and negotiations,” said Mujahid. “If Trump wants to stop talks, we will take the first way and they will soon regret it.” – READ MORE