Afghan parliament attacked by Taliban fighters
KABUL — A Taliban suicide bomber struck the entrance to the Afghan parliament on Monday and gunmen tried to storm the heavily guarded compound, setting off a gunbattle with police that left two civilians and all the attackers dead as lawmakers were meeting inside to vote on the appointment of a new defense minister.
Afghan security forces managed to repel the attack, killing all seven gunmen and ensuring that no members of parliament were harmed.
Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said the attack began with a car-bomb explosion near the entrance to parliament.
Targeting innocent people in the holy month of Ramadan is a clear act of hostility against the religion of Islam,” his office said in a statement, adding that the perpetrators “are criminals who are bound by no creed or religion.
More than 2,300 Afghan soldiers, police and pro-government fighters have been killed since the start of the year — more than the total number of U.S. troops killed since the 2001 invasion that ended Taliban rule.