VIDEO: Rockets land near Kabul presidential palace during Eid prayers
- 20 Jul 2021
Gulf Today Report
The Afghan government said several rockets hit the Afghan capital on Tuesday, landing near the presidential palace during prayers for Eid Al Adha.
Officials and media said at least three rockets hit but it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
Interior ministry spokesperson Mirwais Stanekzai added that there were no immediate reports of injuries.
No one immediately took responsibility for the rocket attack which seemed more intended to unnerve than do damage. The palace is in the middle of a so-called Green Zone that is fortified with giant cement blast walls and barbed wire, and streets near the palace have long been closed off.
The attack interrupted an outdoor gathering for prayers in the palace compound attended by President Ashraf Ghani, television images showed.
The prayers continued amid the sound of explosions, however, and Ghani later delivered a speech from an outdoor podium, broadcast on local media.
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Abdullah Abdullah, the No. 2 official in the government, returned on Monday from the first high-level round of peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar.
The two days of meetings aimed at jumpstarting stalled talks ended with a promise for more high-level talks.
President Ashraf Ghani attends Eid prayers at the presidential palace in Kabul in this still image taken from TV footage. Reuters
Insecurity has been growing in Afghanistan, largely spurred by fighting in its provinces as foreign troops withdraw and Taliban insurgents launch major offensives, taking districts and border crossings.
Unlike some previous years, the Taliban did not declare a ceasefire during the Eid holiday this year.
The damaged vehicle which was firing rockets. Rahmat Gul/AP
On Monday, 15 diplomatic missions and the Nato representative in Kabul urged the Taliban to halt offensives, just hours after the insurgents and the Afghan government failed to agree on a ceasefire at talks in Doha.
