Taliban Kills 16 in Kabul Attack

Locals slam presence of Green Village near houses as making them a target

The latest Taliban attack took place in a residential area in the capital of Kabul, against the wall of the Green Village, where a number of international groups are based. At least 16 were killed, and 119 wounded.

The Taliban defended the attack, saying they want to put themselves in a “position of strength” during the ongoing talks with the US. Afghan officials said some 400 foreign nationals in the village were rescued.

The locals in the residential neighborhood were none too happy, saying they believe the presence of all those foreigners in Green Village is making their neighborhood a target. They protested after the attack, demanding the foreigners move out of the area.

This is a recurring problem, with Green Village separate from the Green Zone, but housing a lot of NGOs who are liable to be targets of various militants. A January attack with a truck bomb also had over 100 casualties.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.