Afghan forces rise to challenge by putting down Taliban airport attack
Elite US-trained troops storm hideouts to put down Taliban assault on Kabul airport, seen as a sign of their growing professionalism
Afghan security forces have been praised for overwhelming Taliban insurgents who launched a pre-dawn grenade and gun attack on Kabul airport yesterday.
Two suicide bombers blew themselves up and all five other attackers were killed when elite troops stormed two half-built mansions where the militants were holed up near the airport's perimeter fence.
Brave Afghan security forces have the ability to repel any enemy attack
The forces' response was hailed as a sign of their growing professionalism as they take over responsibility from 100,000 US-led foreign combat troops who will pull out by the end of next year.
President Hamid Karzai, who is visiting Qatar, highlighted the effectiveness of the foreign-trained units after only two civilians suffered minor injuries in the attack. "Brave Afghan security forces have the ability to repel any enemy attack and can protect people and their country," Karzai said
Loud explosions from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and sporadic bursts of small-arms fire continued for about four hours after the fighting awoke residents of the Afghan capital at 4.30am.
"There were seven assailants - two died detonating themselves and five others were killed," Kabul police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said.
The heavily guarded, sprawling airport, which has both civilian and military terminals, contains a large base for the US-led Nato coalition deployed to help Afghan forces thwart the 12-year insurgency.
