Rockets Hit U.S. Embassy in Kabul

Dec. 25, 2013 5:31 a.m. ETKABUL—The Taliban claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the sprawling U.S. embassy compound in Kabul on Wednesday, an incident that caused no casualties.
Wednesday’s attack, which occurred at 6:40 a.m. local time (9:10 p.m. ET Dec. 24), set off a duck-and-cover alarm that sent embassy personnel into hardened shelters in the heavily fortified embassy complex. An embassy official confirmed in a statement that “indirect fire” –shorthand for rocket or mortar fire—had hit the compound.
“Approximately two rounds of indirect fire impacted the U.S. embassy compound,” the statement read. “All Americans are accounted for and no injuries were sustained. The embassy continues to investigate the attack.”
In a text message sent to reporters, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid took credit for the attack, claiming that four rockets had been launched at the U.S. embassy, causing “heavy casualties.”
The Taliban frequently make inflated claims about inflicting casualties on Afghan and coalition forces.
Wednesday’s attacks did little to interrupt the daily rhythm of life in the Afghan capital. Lawmakers in the country’s national assembly met Wednesday to deliberate on confidence votes for cabinet ministers and Supreme Court members.
Elsewhere in Kabul, three Afghan policemen were injured in a separate rocket attack.
Hashmat Stanikzai, a Kabul police spokesman, said the three officers were injured while trying to defuse a rocket that had been set to launch from a graveyard. Two of them were in critical condition, he said.
Insurgent rocket attacks are often inaccurate, employing artillery rockets that are propped up on improvised rails or dirt mounds and set off by timer. Kabul police said three rockets had been planted in the graveyard, and that a suspect had been arrested.
—Ehsanullah Amiri contributed to this article.
Write to Nathan Hodge at nathan.hodge@wsj.com

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