KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents launched a coordinated attack Tuesday on the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters in the heart of the Afghan capital on Tuesday, firing rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.
An embassy spokeswoman said no staff were reported wounded, but officials said at least one Afghan police officer and two insurgents had been killed as gunfire and explosions resounded across the city well into the afternoon.
The surge of violence was a stark reminder of the instability that continues to plague Afghanistan nearly a decade after the U.S. invasion that ousted the Taliban in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States.
It was the third major attack in Kabul since late June, casting fresh doubts on the ability of Afghans to secure their own country as the U.S. and other foreign troops prepare to withdraw by the end of 2014.
Plumes of smoke rose from the area near the embassy and U.S. Army helicopters buzzed overhead.
The gunmen were firing from a tall office building that is under construction at Abdul Haq square, which is about 300 yards (meters) from the U.S. Embassy. Police said the attack began when about half a dozen insurgents took over the building and opened fire.
(cited from : newsone.com)
