At Least 35 Dead in Afghan Attacks

Taliban? Haqqani network? Either way, insurgents are reportedly cornered

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 15, 2012 1:38 PM CDT

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At least 35 Dead in Afghan Attacks — A NATO soldier aims his weapon during a gun battle in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, April 15, 2012. The Taliban launched a series of coordinated attacks on as many as seven sites across the Afghan capital on Sunday, targeting NATO bases, the parliament and Western embassies. Militants also launched near-simultaneous... (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Brazen attacks on government buildings in Kabul and various locations in eastern Afghanistan claimed at least 35 lives today, the Los Angeles Times reports. Five civilians, 11 police officers, and 19 insurgents are reported dead after attacks on buildings in Kabul, including US, British, and German embassies, the parliament building, and NATO headquarters. Perpetrators of the lunchtime assault also struck airfields and police headquarters in the eastern provinces, according to Afghan officials.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility, but US Ambassador Ryan Crocker figures it was probably the Haqqani network: "Frankly, I don't think the Taliban is good enough," he said. The Afghan government says security forces have cornered the attackers in Kabul, where explosions, plumes of smoke, and crisp gunfire have echoed all afternoon. “The attack on parliament is an attack on Afghanistan and all its people," said one official perched on a rooftop. "They are the enemies of peace.” (More Kabul stories.)

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