Four Afghan police officers and two Spanish policemen have been killed in Afghanistan capital Kabul in car bombing and gun fire that began Friday and continued into Saturday in an attack by Taliban near the Spanish embassy.
The Spanish government has confirmed the attack in the diplomatic area of Afghan capital and all the assailants have now been killed by security forces.
Afghan government too announced the siege in Kabul’s Sherpoor district has ended.
Sherpoor district hosts embassies and homes of several expatriates too.
A tweet from information ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi informs all the attackers have been killed by the Afghan Police Special Forces.
At least seven people are reported to have been killed in the attack and several others are injured. A nearby Italian charity hospital, about 700 meters from the Spanish Embassy, is treating the victims confirming to have received seven Afghan patients.
The Taliban claimed responsibility of the attack and said guesthouse was their target as it was being used for intelligence sharing and military activities.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said, “Suicide attacks started on a guesthouse of invaders in the Sherpoor area of Kabul in the evening.”
He added they had been keeping a watch on the guesthouses for a long time and now finally they have attacked this important target starting with suicide bomb in a car to allow other Mujahideens to enter the facility.
According to witnesses, at least three attackers were involved in the assaults.
Though the official information from Afghan government as well as Spanish government reveals about seven to eight people have been killed in the attack, but the Taliban spokesman said there were heavy casualties.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, speaking in the Spanish port city of Alicante, called the assaults a terrorist attack and was likely to target guesthouses near the Embassy.
Video footage on some of the leading news portals showed security personnel in great number deployed in the area after darkness fell.
CNN writes, citing anonymous source, most of the staff of Spanish Embassy were in safe place.
The US State Department spokesman John Kirby said they stand firm even after such violence to continue their work for reconciliation between all parties in Afghanistan.
Kirby added the US will continue their support for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as the country is still a dangerous place.
Prior to the Spanish Embassy attack, earlier in the week, the housing complex of Kandahar airport was attacked by ten Taliban fighters and the siege continued for about 27 hours killing 54 people including 39 civilians.
Separately a district chief for the Borka district, Abdul Jabar, was killed in the northern province of northern Baghlan, on the main road near provincial capital Puli Khumr. No one has claimed responsibility of the attack.
Jabar’s driver as well as his two bodyguards was abducted and search for them is still in process.
