At least 12 killed in attack in Afghan capital Kabul

An injured man is escorted away from the site of a blast in Afghan capital Kabul Feb. 26, 2010. Two explosions hit downtown area of Afghan capital Kabul on Friday morning, killing at least 12 people. (Xinhua/Zhang Ning)

At least 12 people, including three suicide bombers, were killed with three others wounded in an attack in Afghan capital Kabul on Friday morning, police said.

Two explosions blew up nearby City Center, a nine-story shopping building in downtown Kabul, about 6:40 a.m. Friday morning, police said.

A group of militants then entered the shopping center and attempted to attack a nearby a hotel which foreigners frequented. The militants later exchanged gunfire with police who came and sieged the building.

Three suicide bombers were killed in the attack, an Afghan official who declined to be named told Xinhua.


Police and firefighters arrive at the site of a blast in Afghan capital Kabul Feb. 26, 2010. Two explosions hit downtown area of Afghan capital Kabul on Friday morning, killing at least 12 people. (Xinhua/Zhang Ning)

The attack also claimed the lives of two Afghan policemen, said Sayed Abdul Ghafar Sayedzada, head of Crime Investigation Department of Kabul police.

Seven civilians, including several foreigners, were also dead in the attack, according to the head of a military hospital.

Witnesses said one of the bombings struck an Indian guesthouse nearby City Center, killing several Indians.

The gunbattle was still going on, with explosions and gunshots heard in the area.


An Afghan policeman keeps guard at the site of a blast in Afghan capital Kabul Feb. 26, 2010. Two explosions hit downtown area of Afghan capital Kabul on Friday morning, killing at least 12 people. (Xinhua/Zhang Ning)

The attack is the first since Jan. 18, when a group of militants attacked Afghan presidential palace and other government buildings, leaving 12 people, including seven attackers, dead.

Source: Xinhua