Taliban gunmen assault downtown building in eastern Afghan city; gunbattle ongoing
By Rahim Faiez, APMonday, December 21, 2009
Taliban clash with police in eastern Afghan city
KABUL — Five militants armed with guns and suicide vests attacked a building in an eastern Afghan city early Monday, officials said, sparking a battle with police that left at least three of the attackers dead.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which was still continuing at midday with police and two remaining gunmen firing at each other in central Gardez, the capital of eastern Paktia province.
The assailants stormed a building near a police station shortly before 10 a.m., said provincial government spokesman Rahullah Samon. He said three of the attackers died in the fighting — one of them wearing a suicide vest that detonated.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press said that the five attackers were targeting the police station. He said all were wearing suicide vests and were armed with rocket-propelled grenades.
Shops throughout the city were closed as residents hunkered down in their houses to wait out the fighting. University student Jumakhan, who like many Afghans goes by one name, said he saw the fighting start and ran behind nearby building. He said he could see NATO forces in the streets, along with Afghan army and police.
Also Monday, the Defense Ministry said 21 militants were killed in three separate operations the day before. The ministry said in a statement that the strikes killed eight insurgents in southern Helmand province, six in Ghazni in the east and seven in northern Kunduz province.
NATO said a joint Afghan-international force killed several militants on Sunday after coming under fire while searching a compound in Wardak province.
In Nangarhar province in Afghanistan’s east, a civilian was killed and two were injured when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, said Gafor Khan, a spokesman for the provincial police chief.
(This version CORRECTS Corrects to defense ministry not interior, ADDS reports of other violence in final 3 grafs)
