Taliban stage brazen Kabul attacks

TALIBAN militants wearing explosives vests launched a brazen assault on the heart of Kabul yesterday, as suicide bombings and gunbattles near the presidential palace and other government buildings paralysed the capital for hours.

Afghan police and NATO troops managed to restore security after at least three blasts and machine-gunfire that echoed across the mountain-rimmed city. Given what might have been, the casualty toll was relatively low: 12 killed, including seven attackers.

Still, the attack was the most ambitious in Kabul in nearly a year and demonstrated the vulnerability of the Afghan capital despite extensive security throughout the city. The assault was also a clear sign the Taliban plan to escalate their fight as the US and its allies ramp up a campaign to end the war.