Afghan Prez slams Taliban as rockets target Kabul palace

Kabul, July 20

At least three rockets hit near the presidential palace on Tuesday shortly before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was to give an address to mark the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

There were no injuries and the rockets landed outside the heavily fortified palace grounds, said Mirwais Stanikzai, spokesman for the interior minister. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, but police quickly fanned out across the area. One car parked on a nearby street was completely destroyed; the police said it was used as launching pad for the rockets.

‘Envoy’s daughter wasn’t kidnapped’

• Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Tuesday reiterated the police’s claim that the daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador was not kidnapped.
• He urged her to come forward and join the probe in a case that has further soured relations between the two neighbours. PTI

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 barrage came as the US and NATO complete their final withdrawal from Afghanistan. Many Afghans are worried whether their war-ravaged country will fall deeper into chaos and violence as foreign forces withdraw and the Taliban gain more territory on the ground, having captured several districts and key border crossings with neighboring countries over the past weeks.

Afghan Army Chief to visit India

• Afghan Army Chief Gen Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai is expected to pay a three-day crucial visit to India from July 27 to explore boosting bilateral military ties.
• Gen Ahmadzai is scheduled to hold talks with the top Indian military brass, including his counterpart Gen MM Naravane. PTI

The withdrawal is more than 95 per cent complete and the final US soldier will be gone by August 31, President Joe Biden said earlier this month. — AP