Taliban suicide bombers attacked a Kabul shopping mall near the Afghan Presidential Palace today, setting the whole building on fire and causing several casualties. At the same time, small-arms attacks on several government ministries registered in the ciy.
At least three security guards were killed as they attempted to fend off the attackers at the six-story Froshgha shopping mall.
The fighting erupted near the Serena Hotel and presidential palace, although Afghan President Hamid Karzai says security has now been restored. The Taliban said 20 fighters were involved.
The attacks, the latest in a series targeting the Afghan capital, paralyzed the city for hours, as hundreds of Afghan commandos converged and opened fire. The battle unfolded in the middle of Pashtunistan Square, a traffic circle that holds the palace of President Hamid Karzai, the Ministry of Justice and the Central Bank, the target of the attack.
As the gun battle raged, another suicide bomber — this one driving an ambulance — struck a traffic circle a half-mile away, sending a second mass of bystanders fleeing in terror.
Five hours after the attack began, gunfire was still echoing through the downtown, as commandos searched for holdouts in a nearby office building.
All seven militants died in the attack; five were gunned down and two killed themselves.
