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2012-04-16 15:56:33 Xinhua Taliban brazen attacks on government interests in the fortified Afghan
capital city and three more cities which started Sunday and ended on
Monday had left 48 people including the attackers dead and injured 65
others, Interior Minister Bismillah Mohammadi said.
"Overall, 36 terrorists and 12 others including eight security personnel
and four civilians were killed during terrorist and counter-terrorist
operations," Mohammadi told journalists shortly after wrapping the gun
battle. He also said in total, 37 insurgents armed with suicide vests, assault
rifles and rocket-propelled grenades begun their offensive on Sunday and
security forces in sharp reaction launched counter offensive during
which 36 attackers were killed and another was captured. Among those received injuries, he added there are 40 security personnel
with majority of them policemen and 25 civilians. Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led forces launched the
ever-biggest coordinated attacks in three parts of the capital city
Kabul, Nangarhar's provincial capital Jalalabad city 120 km east of
Kabul, Paktia's provincial capital Gerdez 100 km south and Logar's
provincial capital Pul-e-Alam 60 km south of capital Kabul on Sunday as
part of spring offensive. The blitz which has taken Afghan government and the NATO-led forces
serving in Afghanistan into surprise, began almost simultaneously on
Sunday afternoon in Kabul, was the ever-biggest offensive since the
ousting of Taliban regime from power decade ago. Taliban militants' purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid shortly after
the multi-pronged attack, in a statement sent to media claimed of
responsibility. "Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate (name of the ousted Taliban regime)
launched a simultaneous large-scale attack against the invading forces
in Kabul, Paktia, Nangarhar and Logar provinces," the statement
stressed, adding the operation is part of Taliban "Spring Offensive". Meantime, an official with Afghan Defense Ministry, Afzal Aman said that
three Afghan soldiers had been killed and 15 others sustained injuries
during counter-terrorist operations. According to him, 15 of the
attackers had been killed in Kabul and the remaining in Jalalabad,
Gerdez and Logar's provincial capital Pul- e-Alam. He also emphasized that the situation has been brought under control and
people have resumed normal life and business in Kabul and other cities,
attacked by insurgents on Sunday.
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