Gunmen launch coordinated attack on Baghlan police HQs

Monitoring Desk

KUNDUZ: Armed suicide bombers launched attack on the police headquarters located near the governor’s house in Pule Khumri city, capital of Baghlan province on Sunday.

Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying dozens of Afghan soldiers were killed in the incident.

A local resident of Pule Khumri told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) that a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the building of police headquarters at around 12:30 pm.

After the heavy explosion, he said some gunmen entered the police headquarters and engaged the security personnel.

Accurate information about casualties is not available at the moment. However, officials of Baghlan provincial hospital told AIP that the fallen and injured police personnel had been brought to the hospital.

Officials in Baghlan have not said anything formally in this regard so far.

Meanwhile, Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident and their spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AIP that the attack launched by their fighters on the police headquarters was still in progress.

A fighter rammed explosives-laden vehicle into the police headquarters, he said. Later, he added that the armed fighters entered the building and engaged the security personnel.

Dozens of security personnel including officers were killed in the attack, he said. A portion of the police headquarters was destroyed, he claimed.

It was the first coordinated attack of Taliban after the participants of Loya Jirga asked the warring sides to stop war. They urged Taliban to announce ceasefire in Afghanistan. However, Taliban stressed to continue war. (AIP)