Five rockets fired at US air base in Afghanistan

Published December 20, 2020
Afghan security personnel stand near a vehicle in which rockets were placed in the aftermath of a rocket attack in Bagram, north of Kabul, on Saturday.—AP
Afghan security personnel stand near a vehicle in which rockets were placed in the aftermath of a rocket attack in Bagram, north of Kabul, on Saturday.—AP

KABUL: A major US air base north of Kabul was targeted in a dawn rocket attack on Saturday but there were no casualties or damage to the airfield, officials said.

Five rockets were fired at Bagram Airfield at 6am, said Parwan province spokeswoman Waheeda Shahkar, adding that police had defused another seven rockets mounted on a vehicle used in the attack. A Nato official also confirmed the assault.

“Rockets were fired towards Bagram Airfield this morning. Initial reporting is there were no casualties and the airfield was not damaged,” the official said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Taliban denied any involvement.

The militant Islamic State group previously claimed responsibility for a similar rocket attack on the base in April.

In recent months, IS has claimed several assaults in Kabul, including two deadly rocket attacks that struck residential areas in the capital.

The group also claimed brutal attacks on two separate educational centres in Kabul that killed dozens of people, most of them students.

Saturday’s attack came a day after 15 children were killed when an explosives-laden motorbike blew up near a religious gathering in eastern Ghazni province. Afghan officials blamed the Taliban for the blast.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

‘Source of terror’
Updated 29 Mar, 2024

‘Source of terror’

It is clear that going after militant groups inside Afghanistan unilaterally presents its own set of difficulties.
Chipping in
29 Mar, 2024

Chipping in

FEDERAL infrastructure development schemes are located in the provinces. Most such projects — for instance,...
Toxic emitters
29 Mar, 2024

Toxic emitters

IT is concerning to note that dozens of industries have been violating environmental laws in and around Islamabad....
Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...