Five killed as Taliban attack US-funded Kabul aid group

KABUL: Taliban militants stormed a US-funded aid group’s central Kabul compound on Tuesday, having targeted the organisation for promoting Western culture and the “inter-mixing” of men and women.At least five people were killed and dozens more wounded in the latest attack in the Afghan capital, which came even as US and Taliban officials were meeting in Qatar for peace talks. The assault began around midday (0730 GMT) with a large explosion at Counterpart International, a non-profit group funded primarily by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US State Department.Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said four attackers then entered the compound before Afghan security forces launched an hours-long clearance operation. At about 6:00 pm, Rahimi said “all the attackers have been killed”. He said four civilians and one police officer were also killed, while about 200 people had been rescued from the area throughout the day.In a statement, Counterpart said it was working to confirm the well-being of its staff.Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, saying Counterpart International was targeted because it promoted the “inter-mixing” of men and women. The aid group mentored “Kabul admin workers in various aspects of brutality, oppression, terror, anti-Islamic ideology & promotion of western culture,” Mujahid said on Twitter.Counterpart’s website says it runs an Afghan civic engagement programme supporting women and other marginalised groups across Afghanistan. Among its stated goals is providing access to election information for Afghan voters, many of whom live in rural areas.The Taliban’s hardline statement against Western values comes as the group meets with US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in Doha in the latest round of talks aimed at finding a way out of Afghanistan’s nearly 18-year old war.John Bass, the US ambassador to Afghanistan, strongly condemned the attack against a US non-governmental organisation. “The targeted organization helps local communities, trains journalists and supports the Afghan people,” Bass said on Twitter. “For this, it is the target of senseless violence,” he added, thanking local security forces for their rapid response.The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said the attack was “particularly deplorable, hitting civilians helping Afghans & taking place during Ramadan”.

from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2ZYL3Cu