A live television broadcast showed rockets landing near the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul on Tuesday during prayers for the Muslim holiday of Eidul Adha.
There were no reports of injuries at the time. According to TV reports, President Ashraf Ghani and others in the region had to stop praying when several powerful explosions rocked the area.
Participants panicked following the blasts, according to a video shown by local media.
According to Tolonews, the rockets were launched from the Parwan-e-Se neighborhood in Kabul’s District 18 in the city’s north. “The rockets landed in Bagh-e-Ali Mardan and Chaman-e-Hozori areas in Kabul’s District 1 and Manabe Bashari area in Kabul’s District 2,” it added.
Video by national TV shows the moment rockets landed near the Presidential Palace during Eid prayers this morning. pic.twitter.com/WmEniyfLfM
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) July 20, 2021
No casualties
The first rocket attack on Kabul since the Taliban began a series of offensives to coincide with the ultimate withdrawal of Western forces from the war-torn nation, despite no immediate claim of credit.
The sound of approaching missiles broke the early morning holiday quiet audible across the highly guarded Green Zone, which houses the presidential palace as well as numerous embassies, including the US mission.
“All the rockets hit three different parts,” said interior ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanikzai.
Three rockets seemed to have been launched from a pickup truck, according to him.
“Based on our initial information, we have no casualties.”
Ghani started his speech to the country minutes after the attack, in the presence of several of his top officials.
Last year, when hundreds of people came to witness President Ashraf Ghani’s inauguration ceremony, the presidential palace was attacked, forcing some to escape.
Daesh claimed the responsibility for explosions.
Tuesday’s attack comes as the Taliban launches a massive offensive throughout the country as foreign troops near the end of a troop pullout that is set to end on August 31.
It also comes a day after more than a dozen diplomatic missions in Kabul called for “an urgent end” to the Taliban’ military offensive, saying it was at odds with claims they want to secure a political deal to end the conflict.
The declaration comes after another round of unproductive negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha over the weekend, which many thought would kickstart the stalled peace process.
