4 Afghan forces killed as Taliban attack hotel compound

Published July 13, 2019
The Afghan defence ministry said four members of the Afghan security forces were killed and 20 others injured. —  AP/File
The Afghan defence ministry said four members of the Afghan security forces were killed and 20 others injured. — AP/File

Four Afghan security forces were killed on Saturday when Taliban insurgents attacked a hotel, officials said, as violence continues across Afghanistan, despite US-led efforts to end the war.

The assault took place in Qala-i-Naw, the capital of the western province of Badghis, when attackers struck a commercial area housing the hotel and several shops in the small city.

“We had intelligence reports that suicide bombers were planning to attack Qala-i-Naw,” Badghis governor Abdul Ghafoor Malikzai told AFP.

Read more: At least six dead in suicide blast at Afghan wedding

“The attackers took over a building near the governor's office and police headquarters.”

The Afghan defence ministry said three attackers were killed and two others arrested. Four members of the Afghan security forces were killed and 20 people wounded, including civilians, the ministry said.

The incident comes less than a week after Taliban officials were sitting face-to-face with US negotiators in Doha in a bid to end Afghanistan's nearly 18-year-old war.

Both sides reported good progress in the talks, but daily carnage continues across Afghanistan and NATO on Saturday announced the death of a US service member who was killed in a Taliban-claimed attack.

The hotel assault started around 12:40 pm (08:10 GMT) when a group of men, some wearing suicide vests, stormed the area.

Aziz Bek, the head of the Badghis provincial council, told AFP that children had been evacuated from nearby schools, and that explosions could be heard in the city.

According to Abdul Latif Rostaee, the local director of public health, 18 were wounded, including six civilians. Nasrat Rahimi, an interior ministry spokesman, earlier said a group of suicide bombers had entered a hotel and were shooting civilians. The attackers first hit a police checkpoint and then entered the hotel, according to Haroon Amir, a witness.

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.