The Taliban has been launching multiple attacks against the Afghan capital city of Kabul lately, mostly just to underscore that they can. This time, however, they launched a major attack in the heart of the city, with a suicide truck bomber cleaving the side off the government’s secret service building, and gunmen killing dozens in a multi-hour battle that followed.
The official toll from the Kabul police says 64 people were killed, and over 300 wounded. Though the attack targeted security forces, officials say that the majority of the casualties were civilians. The huge initial blast shattered windows across the entire area, and likely caused a lot of the injuries.
The number of Taliban attackers is still unclear, though Afghan Interior Ministry officials said at least one attacker was killed in the gunbattle that followed. It’s not clear what happened to the rest, though the fighting appears to be done for now.
Officials are trying to present the fighting as a “sign of weakness” for the Taliban, insisting it shows they can’t fight Afghan security forces on an even footing. Despite that claim, Taliban forces continue to do exactly that in both Helmand and Kunduz.
Those who still favour the US’s continued prosecution of the Afghan war would do well to read Barbara Tuchman’s The March of Folly.