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Kabul airport under attack Nato HQ at Kabul airport under attack
(about 1 hour later)
Insurgents have attacked the military side of Kabul's international airport, which houses a Nato headquarters. At least five heavily armed insurgents were engaged in an hours-long gun battle with security forces near Afghanistan's main airport on Monday after they apparently tried to attack Nato's airport headquarters with rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and at least one large bomb, the army and police said.
Afghan army and police reported explosions and gunfire and the airport was closed to all civilian air traffic, an airport official said. The airport was closed to all civilian air traffic because of the attack, an airport official said. It was unclear if the attack had damaged the airport itself.
Kabul police said attackers wearing suicide vests had occupied a tall building on the west side of the airport and were firing at the military facility. "Their target is unclear because they are at a distance from the airport. We have lots of installations in that area," interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi said. "They seem to be trying to hit anything they can."
A statement said there was at least one large explosion about 4.30am local time (1am BST) and a gun battle began with security forces. He said three insurgents had been killed and at least three others were believed to be in a four- to five-storey building that was under construction. There were no casualties among police or civilians, he added.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the insurgents were targeting Nato.
Kabul police said in an announcement that attackers wearing suicide vests had occupied one or two buildings under construction on the west side of the airport and were firing at the military facility.
A statement said there was at least one large explosion at around 4.30am local time (1am BST) and a gun battle began with security forces.
"It first started with a big explosion which we think was a suicide attack. After that a gun battle started," said a Kabul police spokesman, Hashmat Stanikzai. He said at least five insurgents then occupied two buildings in a single compound and started firing rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons.
"Sometimes they are shooting from one building, sometimes from other. It is a residential area and the compound has been surrounded by Afghan security forces. The security forces surrounded the buildings and are being careful because it is a residential area."
The airport was closed to all civilian traffic.
"We closed the Kabul airport runway so that civilian aircraft don't get hit by bullets. They are in a high building that they are shooting from," said Yaqub Rassouli, the civilian chief of Kabul airport."We closed the Kabul airport runway so that civilian aircraft don't get hit by bullets. They are in a high building that they are shooting from," said Yaqub Rassouli, the civilian chief of Kabul airport.
Afghan army General Murad Ali Murad said police and military forces were exchanging gunfire with insurgents. Explosions could be heard in downtown Kabul, a few miles from the airport. Embassies in the diplomatic zone in the centre of Kabul were quickly locked down and emergency alarms were heard ringing loudly from the British embassy.
"Outside the airport, in the civilian area, there is a tall building under construction and they are shooting at the military side from there. The building is surrounded and there is sporadic shooting. Not enough to damage the military side. We don't know how many terrorist bombers are in there," he said.
A series of explosion were heard from the direction of the airport and residents heard what sounded like a dozen explosions coming from the direction of the military's facilities. They said the explosions sounded like rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire. The explosions could be heard in downtown Kabul, a few miles from the airport.
The US-led Nato coalition's Joint Command headquarters at the airport runs the day-to-day operations of the nearly 12-year-old war against insurgents. The airport's military side is also used for Nato transport and other aircraft.
"It started just after dawn prayers and I counted about a dozen explosions, mostly RPG fire, coming from the airport," said Emayatullah, who lives next to the airport. Like many Afghans he uses only one name."It started just after dawn prayers and I counted about a dozen explosions, mostly RPG fire, coming from the airport," said Emayatullah, who lives next to the airport. Like many Afghans he uses only one name.
The International Assistance Force's joint command said it was aware of reports of an attack, but had no further details.The International Assistance Force's joint command said it was aware of reports of an attack, but had no further details.
The US-led Nato coalition's Joint Command headquarters at the airport runs the day-to-day operations of the nearly 12-year-old war. The airport's military side is also used for Nato transport and other aircraft.
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