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                 Kabul Death Toll in Taliban Attack Rises to 64

   by Ayaz Gul

   Residents in Afghanistan's capital are still reeling from a deadly
   suicide attack Tuesday that killed 64 people and wounded hundreds more.

   "It is with regret that I announce that 64 people were killed and 347
   others wounded in yesterday's Kabul attack. Most of them are
   civilians," Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told reporters.

   A group of Taliban insurgents staged the bomb and gun attack in Kabul
   Tuesday morning.

   Government officials said Wednesday it was the worst terrorist attack
   in the country since 2011.

   The assault targeted a building that officials said houses a special
   unit of the Afghan security force working under the Afghan spy agency
   and responsible for protecting government officials.

   ''


   The attack began around 9 a.m. local time with a suicide bomber
   detonating his explosives-laden vehicle at the entrance.

   Sediqqi had told reporters "hundreds of kilograms of explosives" were
   packed in the vehicle. He said investigations are under way to
   determine details about the number of attackers but admitted security
   lapses led to the deadly assault.

   Intense gunbattle

   Officials said the ensuing intense gunfight between the assailants and
   Afghan security forces, which lasted for several hours, left all the
   attackers dead, with some blowing themselves up.

   Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack "in the strongest
   possible terms," saying it "clearly shows the enemy's defeat in the
   face-to-face battle" with Afghan security forces.

   The Taliban claimed responsibility for the violence, with spokesman
   Zabihullah Mujahid saying all three attackers had worn suicide vests.

   ''In a statement sent to reporters, the Taliban said the assault
   targeted the Afghan intelligence agency's office, calling it "one of
   the brutal and inhuman organs" of the Kabul government.

   During the White House briefing in Washington, Press Secretary Josh
   Earnest strongly condemned the "cowardly attack on Afghan forces and
   civilians." He said the United States remains committed to supporting
   the Afghan people and government.

   "We also call on the Taliban to pursue a pathway of peace instead of
   continuing a military campaign responsible for the senseless deaths of
   Afghan civilians," Earnest told reporters Tuesday.

   The White House spokesman said he didn't have an updated assessment as
   to what impact, if any, the attack would have on the U.S. military
   posture going forward. But Earnest noted U.S. strategy in Afghanistan
   will be among the important policy decisions of President Barack
   Obama's successor.

   Pakistan

   Afghan officials immediately pointed fingers at Pakistan, blaming the
   neighboring country for not delivering on its commitments to uproot
   Taliban sanctuaries on Pakistani soil.

   Islamabad rejects the allegations, citing counterterrorism operations
   underway to secure volatile tribal areas near the Afghan border.

   he deadly assault prompted Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah to
   postpone his official visit to Islamabad. He was due to undertake the
   trip on May 2 at the invitation of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz
   Sharif, officials said.

   ''"After initial evidence of today's suicide attack in Kabul, CE Dr.
   Abdullah decided to postpone his upcoming visit to Pakistan," said an
   announcement posted on Abdullah's official Twitter account.

   Television footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the
   area immediately after the powerful blast, which took place not far
   from the presidential palace and the sprawling U.S. embassy complex in
   Kabul.

   The NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan "strongly
   condemned" the assault.

   "Today's attack shows the insurgents are unable to meet Afghan forces
   on the battlefield and must resort to these terrorist attacks," said
   Resolute Support Commander U.S. Army General John Nicholson.

   Intensified attacks

   The incident comes as Taliban insurgents have intensified battlefield
   attacks in more than 15 Afghan provinces as part of their annual spring
   offensive.

   The United Nations condemned the attack, saying it is verifying facts
   on numbers of civilian casualties.

   ''"Taliban use of a huge bomb in a densely populated area shows total
   lack of respect for civilian lives," said the U.N. Assistance Mission
   in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

   In a report released Sunday, UNAMA said that the Afghan conflict caused
   about 2,000 civilian casualties in the first three months of this year,
   including 600 dead.

   Neighboring Pakistan, where Afghan officials said Taliban leaders are
   sheltering, also condemned the bloodshed.

   "We extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to those who have
   lost their loved ones and pray for an early recovery of the injured," a
   Foreign Ministry statement issued in Islamabad said, and reiterated
   that the government "condemns terrorism in all its forms and
   manifestation."
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/kabul-death-toll-in-taliban-attack-rises-to-sixty-four/3293548.html