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| Taliban Send Message With Deadly Kabul Attack as Fighting Season Begins | Taliban Send Message With Deadly Kabul Attack as Fighting Season Begins |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — Even in a year when violence across Afghanistan did not relent over the winter months, the Taliban marked the official start of the spring fighting season with a huge truck bomb in the heart of Kabul on Tuesday. | |
| Beyond the all-too-familiar carnage — at least 30 dead and more than 300 wounded — it also sent a message: The Taliban can attack the capital at will, and they have no intention of engaging in peace talks despite reports of internal rifts. | Beyond the all-too-familiar carnage — at least 30 dead and more than 300 wounded — it also sent a message: The Taliban can attack the capital at will, and they have no intention of engaging in peace talks despite reports of internal rifts. |
| The location of the bombing, near the compound of an elite force that provides protection to senior Afghan officials, also demonstrated how vulnerable the government remains. | The location of the bombing, near the compound of an elite force that provides protection to senior Afghan officials, also demonstrated how vulnerable the government remains. |
| The Taliban have stretched Afghan security forces thin throughout the country, with fighting raging across multiple provinces. But complex urban attacks remain crucial to the insurgency because they bring what even major battlefield gains in remote areas of the country cannot: headlines, and a disruption of daily life that increases pressure on a coalition government already struggling with infighting and stagnation. | The Taliban have stretched Afghan security forces thin throughout the country, with fighting raging across multiple provinces. But complex urban attacks remain crucial to the insurgency because they bring what even major battlefield gains in remote areas of the country cannot: headlines, and a disruption of daily life that increases pressure on a coalition government already struggling with infighting and stagnation. |
| Security forces in Kabul have been on high alert since the Taliban announced their annual spring offensive last week, amid reports that suicide bombers had entered the city and were planning attacks. | Security forces in Kabul have been on high alert since the Taliban announced their annual spring offensive last week, amid reports that suicide bombers had entered the city and were planning attacks. |
| As is often the case, most of the casualties in Tuesday’s assault were civilians, Afghan officials said. The United Nations, which recently said civilians had continued to suffer at record levels in the first quarter of this year, issued a strong denunciation of the attack. | As is often the case, most of the casualties in Tuesday’s assault were civilians, Afghan officials said. The United Nations, which recently said civilians had continued to suffer at record levels in the first quarter of this year, issued a strong denunciation of the attack. |
| “The use of high explosives in civilian populated areas, in circumstances almost certain to cause immense suffering to civilians, may amount to war crimes,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the secretary general’s deputy special representative for Afghanistan. | “The use of high explosives in civilian populated areas, in circumstances almost certain to cause immense suffering to civilians, may amount to war crimes,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the secretary general’s deputy special representative for Afghanistan. |
| The Taliban’s urban attacks follow a similar pattern: After a vehicle-borne explosion creates chaos, militants with weapons and suicide vests storm their target and engage the police or special forces. | The Taliban’s urban attacks follow a similar pattern: After a vehicle-borne explosion creates chaos, militants with weapons and suicide vests storm their target and engage the police or special forces. |
| Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said that on Tuesday a truck full of “probably hundreds of kilograms of explosives” had been detonated in a parking lot behind the compound of the Directorate of Security for Dignitaries. Mr. Sediqqi described the area destroyed as “vast.” (The explosion was so strong that it rattled windows across the city, including those at the presidential palace.) | Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said that on Tuesday a truck full of “probably hundreds of kilograms of explosives” had been detonated in a parking lot behind the compound of the Directorate of Security for Dignitaries. Mr. Sediqqi described the area destroyed as “vast.” (The explosion was so strong that it rattled windows across the city, including those at the presidential palace.) |
| Police officials said that a number of militants then entered the compound, engaging the guards and the police special forces who arrived to clear the area. But Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi, Kabul’s police chief, said that just one militant had entered the compound, and that he had been gunned down in less than half an hour. | Police officials said that a number of militants then entered the compound, engaging the guards and the police special forces who arrived to clear the area. But Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi, Kabul’s police chief, said that just one militant had entered the compound, and that he had been gunned down in less than half an hour. |
| Mr. Sediqqi said that 30 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the explosion, while health officials reported that 327 wounded had arrived at city hospitals. The number of casualties was expected to rise, Mr. Sediqqi said. | Mr. Sediqqi said that 30 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the explosion, while health officials reported that 327 wounded had arrived at city hospitals. The number of casualties was expected to rise, Mr. Sediqqi said. |
| A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. | A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. |
| President Ashraf Ghani, who visited the wounded in hospitals on Tuesday, accused the Taliban of working for the enemies of his country. “Afghanistan remembers the day you had whips in your hands, killing people,” he said. “We will avenge every drop of the Afghan blood that is shed.” | President Ashraf Ghani, who visited the wounded in hospitals on Tuesday, accused the Taliban of working for the enemies of his country. “Afghanistan remembers the day you had whips in your hands, killing people,” he said. “We will avenge every drop of the Afghan blood that is shed.” |
| Eyewitnesses described the mayhem after the attack, which took place during the early morning rush. One of the wounded, Sadiqullah, 25, said more than a dozen vehicles near him had been badly damaged, and their drivers and passengers injured or killed. | Eyewitnesses described the mayhem after the attack, which took place during the early morning rush. One of the wounded, Sadiqullah, 25, said more than a dozen vehicles near him had been badly damaged, and their drivers and passengers injured or killed. |
| “I saw people lying on the road hopelessly — some screaming, others silently giving out their last breath and some already dead,” he said. | “I saw people lying on the road hopelessly — some screaming, others silently giving out their last breath and some already dead,” he said. |
| Mr. Sadiqullah, who runs a tea shop and who like many Afghans goes by one name, said the blast was “so strong that I felt it struck me or my shop personally.” | Mr. Sadiqullah, who runs a tea shop and who like many Afghans goes by one name, said the blast was “so strong that I felt it struck me or my shop personally.” |
| On a visit to the site of the attack, Abdullah Abdullah, the chief executive of the Afghan government, said it showed “the depth of barbarity and terror of Afghanistan’s enemies.” He said the country’s defense and security forces had remained on alert because the Taliban had clearly rejected “our calls for peace.” | On a visit to the site of the attack, Abdullah Abdullah, the chief executive of the Afghan government, said it showed “the depth of barbarity and terror of Afghanistan’s enemies.” He said the country’s defense and security forces had remained on alert because the Taliban had clearly rejected “our calls for peace.” |
| For much of the winter, the struggling coalition government tried to get the Taliban to participate in peace talks, in the hopes of avoiding another bloody year. At the heart of the effort was reaching out to the government and powerful military of Pakistan, elements of which are believed to be aiding the Taliban and providing its leadership with sanctuaries on Pakistani soil. | For much of the winter, the struggling coalition government tried to get the Taliban to participate in peace talks, in the hopes of avoiding another bloody year. At the heart of the effort was reaching out to the government and powerful military of Pakistan, elements of which are believed to be aiding the Taliban and providing its leadership with sanctuaries on Pakistani soil. |
| The outreach, which also involved the United States and China, created early optimism. A date for face-to-face talks was set for early March, with Pakistan promising to deliver Taliban leaders to the table. | The outreach, which also involved the United States and China, created early optimism. A date for face-to-face talks was set for early March, with Pakistan promising to deliver Taliban leaders to the table. |
| But the Taliban rejected the talks, instead starting the spring offensive and intensifying attacks across the country. It became clear that the new leader of the insurgent movement, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, had no interest in discussions. He had used the winter months to consolidate his ranks, through a mix of brutal crackdowns on dissent and doling out new posts to discontented members of the group. | But the Taliban rejected the talks, instead starting the spring offensive and intensifying attacks across the country. It became clear that the new leader of the insurgent movement, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, had no interest in discussions. He had used the winter months to consolidate his ranks, through a mix of brutal crackdowns on dissent and doling out new posts to discontented members of the group. |
| To protest Tuesday’s attack, Mr. Abdullah’s office said he would postpone a trip to Pakistan, believing that the attack was planned on its soil. | To protest Tuesday’s attack, Mr. Abdullah’s office said he would postpone a trip to Pakistan, believing that the attack was planned on its soil. |