Kabul Airport Attack Neutralized by Afghan Forces

According to officials of the Afghanistan Interior Ministry, the coordinated attack on the Kabul international airport by armed men numbering seven has been neutralized by Afghan forces on Monday.

The attack, which Taliban had earlier claimed responsibility, was aimed at the Kabul international airport, which is also housing a NATO-run military base. However, the Taliban insurgents took up positions in a building that was under construction.  

Although, it began in the wee hours of the morning around 4.30am local time on Monday, exchanges of gunfire continued for hours, with explosions erupting from the airport.

Correspondents of several news outlets were at the scene of the incident, with comments indicating that the Afghan forces took control of the situation gallantly without international intervention.

Chief of Kabul police Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said, “There were seven assailants…two died detonating their explosives and five others were killed in fighting.”

He added that there were no civilian or military casualties.

There were reports indicating that the American Embassy sounded its “duck-and-cover” alarm while sounding a warning through loudspeakers that the alarm was not a drill. Similarly, the British Embassy sounded their alarms.

All national and international flights had been cancelled, according to Yacoub Rasul, general manager of Kabul international airport.

Only last month, there was an intense gunfight between Afghan security forces and Taliban insurgents for hours in Kabul after a big explosion rocked the city.

It will be recalled that the Taliban had initially launched a “spring offensive” in April, which was targeted at diplomatic areas, foreign troops, and military bases in Afghanistan.

Sharif Claims Early Victory in May 11 Elections

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, have declared victory in the historic general elections that was held on Saturday, May 11.

There was a huge turnout of about 60 percent of over 86 million eligible voters at the polling stations, amid threats of unending violence from the Pakistani Taliban.

The Election Commission praised the Pakistanis who came out to vote, citing that the turnout was the highest since 1977, despite the wave of violence that had at least 30 people killed in a series of gun and suicide attacks at polling stations across the country.

 
According to preliminary results, Sharif’s party took a promising lead, making it an assurance that he will be on the seat of power for a third time. But, the majorit

Sharif addressed his supporters at his campaign headquarters in Lahore, saying that the party thanks Allah for the opportunity to serve Pakistan again.

“Through this vote and campaign, I have felt how much love Pakistan has for me. And I have twice as much love for you.”

He added, “Thank God that he has given us the chance to help you to help Pakistan, to help the young people. We will fulfill all the promises that we have made.”

Policy director at Just Foreign Policy rights organization, Robert Naiman said that the success of MPL-N and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI) may be in part because they made changing Pakistan’s strained relationship with the US a key plank in their campaigns.

He predicted that Pakistanis are unhappy with the “perception of subservience, the premendously unpopular drone strikes. And that we will see change in that direction under the Sharif government with Khan as the main opposition party.”

Sharif has urged Pakistanis to pray for a government that can be made theirs without compromises. He explained that a strong government cannot be made if they have to ask for seats, adding that his party would settle their differences.

 
“We forgive anyone who has abused us along the way, and we have not cursed anyone. We want to get Pakistan out of trouble. We have a program to change the state of Pakistan. We must make a decision to change this country…. To other parties, I say come and sit at the table,” he said

Explosion at a JUI-F Rally in Pakistan Leaves Many Injured

There have been reports of an explosion killing at least 15 people, and leaving several injured at a political rally of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam faction candidate, Munir Orakzai in Kurram Agency on Monday.

Although, Orakzai was believed to have escaped the bombing unhurt, a government administrator in the region claimed about 50 people were injured in the attack.

He also added that the bomb appeared to have been placed in the building where the rally was to be held by the national assembly candidates of JUI faction.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but, it is not news that the Pakistani Taliban has strongly opposed the elections, calling it “un-Islamic”, and carrying it out its threats to disrupt the activities of the main parties in the outgoing coalition.

Interim Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mir Hazar, has strongly condemned the attack, as the violence has continuously risen ahead of the general elections, with over 60 people killed in the attacks directed at the political parties and their candidates since April 11.

  

Deadly Explosions in Karachi Leaves Four People Dead

There were three deadly explosions in Karachi on Saturday, leaving at least four people dead including a female child, and several others with different scores of injuries, hospital officials say.

According to police reports, two bombs targeted secular political parties in the country, while a third went off close to a Shia mosque.

Local police official, Zahid Hussain, said that the Muttahida Quami Movement office in Qasba Colony area was the target of the first bomb, which killed one person and wounded 24 others.

With the office not being open at the time of the attack, four people were injured by a hand grenade tossed close to a Shia mosque, he added.

According to police officer Azam Baloch, another bomb planted on a motorbike exploded during a political meeting held by the Pakistan People’s Party. Three people were killed including a seven-year old girl, and about 21 others were wounded in the explosion.

No one has claimed responsibility for these attacks, but it came only hours after a car bomb rocked an election office in the same town, killing at least 10 people. The Pakistani Taliban had threatened to cause harm to the political parties who were coalition partners in the outgoing government.