June 18, 2011
Gunfight Shatters Calm Spell in Kabul
By RAY RIVERA
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Three insurgents wearing military uniforms and vests filled with explosives attacked a police station in a busy downtown market on Saturday, killing nine people in a gun battle that lasted more than an hour, the authorities said.
The victims were three police officers, an Afghan intelligence agent and five civilians. The three attackers were also killed, officials said. Twelve people were wounded, 10 of them civilians.
Automatic gunfire echoed through downtown as hundreds of police officers and soldiers cordoned off the area and tried to close in on the gunmen. The attack shattered what had been a peaceful month in the capital. In a few weeks, NATO forces are scheduled to hand over the city to Afghan forces, a largely symbolic move since the Afghans have been mostly responsible for the security here for more than a year.
The Interior Ministry said that the attackers arrived at the Mandavi market at 1:30 p.m. and approached a small police station amid the bustling shops. One bomber blew himself up in front of the station, paving the way for the other two to run inside, a ministry spokesman said.
That report conflicted with the accounts of witnesses, who said they did not see or hear a suicide blast. And while blood was pooled on the pavement outside the station, and the gate to the entrance was pocked with bullet holes, there were none of the usual signs of a suicide blast, like body parts.
Omid, who owns a shop near the police station and goes by one name, said he saw three gunmen approach it, each clad in camouflage. But as they drew close, a police officer guarding the gate opened fire, killing one before being shot in the leg. The other two attackers rushed inside, Omid said.
As the battle continued, police officers carried away wounded colleagues, taking them to hospitals in the back of police trucks.
The market is one of the busiest shopping sections in the city, where businessmen come to buy foods, textiles and other goods. Afghan soldiers were brought in from nearby Kapisa Province to help, according to soldiers on the scene.
Just before 3 p.m., soldiers dragged out the body of one of the gunmen; he appeared to have been shot in the chest and right eye. He wore a camouflage uniform typical of older-style army fatigues, and his shirt was open, revealing traditional Afghan clothing underneath. As reporters clamored around the body, some soldiers shook hands and congratulated one another. But more shots rang out even as they did so.
The battle ended minutes later as the final gunman was apparently killed. The last major attack in the city was May 22, when a suicide bomber blew himself up [1] in a dining tent on the grounds of the national military hospital, killing six people who were said to have been training to be combat medics. More than 20 others were wounded.
Sharifullah Sahak contributed reporting.
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/world/asia/22afghanistan.htm