Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
At least 23 rockets hit parts of Kabul city in Saturday morning. Eight civilians were killed and over 30 others were wounded. Rockets were fired from mini trucks parked in different parts of the city. This comes on the heels of an already bloody month for the city. The deadly Kabul University attack and suicide attack on the Kawsar-e-Danesh educational center in western part of city, had already taken dozens of innocents’ lives. The main and important question is how a loaded truck is able to enter Kabul? Or the burning truck with launch tubes in its bed, prepared in a home inside the city? Whatever it is, a big security failure is speaking quite louder. This is not the first time, as the Islamic State (IS), also known as Daesh extremist group, used a similar attack in March when the group fired rockets toward the city during presidential inauguration. However, responsibility for Saturday’s attack was not immediately clear. Of these rockets flying over Kabul, where the people should go? Suicide bombings and other terrorist activities weren’t bad enough, now there are rockets to fear the people. This is shocking. Yet another indiscriminate violence unleashed upon innocent civilians. Apparently, the security situation is extremely unstable even the Afghans are not safe inside their houses. One of these rockets hit a house and killed Mashal and Shaqayeq, the sibling while they were having breakfast. The Afghans are dying to spend a day without violence. Whoever is responsible, it carried a horrendous act with clear violation of international humanitarian law. Certainly, violence is the number one spoiler of this nascent Afghan peace process. Those who conduct violence amid sabotaging the peace process have no root rather emboldened by illusion to win the war. The utmost question is what our security institutions are doing. How it’s possible to smuggle a truck loaded with rocket launchers while millions of dollars have been spent on explosive detectors at Kabul gates. Furthermore, security officials informed about security plans, and it has been enforced to bolster security – if it’s not a lie, why under strict security and many rings of steal checkpoints around the city, possible to carry such brazen attacks. 23 rockets, it’s not a funny story – someone has to answer. Showering Kabul with rockets was unprecedented in its type in the latest chapter of war that could further damage government image. Now with defense and interior ministers received votes of confidence by the parliament, it’s utterly on them to come up with a comprehensive security plan to improve security and prevent repetition of such deadly attacks in the future.
