KABUL: Insurgents on Thursday fired a rocket near the venue of a major meeting in the Afghan capital Kabul discussing the controversial presence of US troops after NATO combat forces leave in 2014.
The strike, which was claimed by the Taliban, injured one person but highlighted lingering security fears at the four-day loya jirga event which brings together around 2,000 elders from around the warring country.
"It's apparently rocket shots fired into Kabul," said the city's police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi after witnesses reported two loud explosions shortly after 8:00 am (0330 GMT), before day two of the loya jirga started.
Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said one of the rockets landed by the side of a road in an area next to the Intercontinental Hotel, which an AFP reporter said was roughly 500 metres (yards) from the jirga venue.
One civilian was "slightly injured" by the other rocket, Sediqqi said, which landed several kilometres (miles) from the jirga venue.
In a text message sent to journalists, the Taliban claimed it launched two rockets at the loya jirga tent late Wednesday.
They had threatened to target the loya jirga, convened by Karzai to discuss a strategic partnership being negotiated with the United States and a peace strategy with insurgents.
On Wednesday, Karzai outlined conditions for a US troop presence in his country after NATO combat forces leave at the end of 2014.
He called on the US to take steps including stopping night raids and respecting Afghan sovereignty in order for Afghanistan to agree to host US troops in the long-run.
An AFP reporter at the scene of the rocket impact in northern Kabul, some distance from the jirga, said the projectile hit a pile of dirt in an area where people parked handcarts used to sell vegetables on the street.
Windows in buildings nearby were shattered and police sealed off the area, the reporter added.
A witness who did not want to give his name said: "The sound of the explosion was huge. I thought it was a suicide bombing.
"When we came out, I saw the injured person lying down. He had injuries to his shoulder. The flesh on his shoulder had gone."
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.