Uniformed gunman kills 2 Afghan soldiers in Defense Ministry
A Taliban spokesman says the attacker tried, without success, to assassinate the Afghan and French defense ministers. The assailant is also killed.
Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi speaks on training and equipping Afghan national security forces Wednesday in Kabul. (S. Sabawoon / EPA / April 13, 2011)
By Molly Hennessy-FiskeLos Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 18, 2011, 3:05 a.m.
Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi speaks on training and equipping Afghan national security forces Wednesday in Kabul. (S. Sabawoon / EPA / April 13, 2011)
By Molly Hennessy-FiskeLos Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 18, 2011, 3:05 a.m.
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Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan—
Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan—
An insurgent dressed as an Afghan soldier opened fire Monday inside the Defense Ministry, killing two soldiers in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Afghan and French defense ministers, officials said.
The attacker was also armed with explosives but was shot and killed by Afghan soldiers before he could detonate the bomb, said Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a Defense Ministry spokesman.
Seven more Afghan soldiers were wounded in the attack, Azimi said.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the attack targeted French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet and his Afghan counterpart, Abdul Rahim Wardak.
Wardak was not harmed but his assistant was wounded, a ministry official said. French embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Longuet had scheduled a press conference at 2 p.m. but it was canceled, officials said.
No damage was visible from outside the ministry's front gate Monday afternoon, where security forces had massed in response to the attack.
No NATO troops were injured or involved in responding to the attack, coalition spokesmen said.
The attack is the latest of a series in recent days by insurgents who succeeded in infiltrating or posing as Afghan security forces. NATO coalition officials have said they are responding by training a slew of counterintelligence agents to track down sleeper agents within the Afghan security forces.
molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com
The attacker was also armed with explosives but was shot and killed by Afghan soldiers before he could detonate the bomb, said Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a Defense Ministry spokesman.
Seven more Afghan soldiers were wounded in the attack, Azimi said.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the attack targeted French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet and his Afghan counterpart, Abdul Rahim Wardak.
Wardak was not harmed but his assistant was wounded, a ministry official said. French embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Longuet had scheduled a press conference at 2 p.m. but it was canceled, officials said.
No damage was visible from outside the ministry's front gate Monday afternoon, where security forces had massed in response to the attack.
No NATO troops were injured or involved in responding to the attack, coalition spokesmen said.
The attack is the latest of a series in recent days by insurgents who succeeded in infiltrating or posing as Afghan security forces. NATO coalition officials have said they are responding by training a slew of counterintelligence agents to track down sleeper agents within the Afghan security forces.
molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com
Special correspondents Hashmat Baktash and Aimal Yaqoubi in Kabul contributed to this report. Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
(source:.latimes.com)
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