SPOT REPORT: MULTIPLE ATTACKS IN KABUL CITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 000143 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2015 TAGS: FBI PREL PTER SUBJECT: SPOT REPORT: MULTIPLE ATTACKS IN KABUL CITY Classified By: Pol Couns Annie Pforzheimer, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) Summary: Multiple suicide bomber explosions shook downtown Kabul on January 18 in a complex, coordinated attack in the vicinity of major Afghan government centers, including the Presidential Palace, Central Bank, and Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Education, Economy, and Interior. Five civilians and three Afghan security forces reportedly died in the attack, with an estimated 33 people wounded. All U.S. Embassy personnel and U.S. government contractors are accounted for. The explosions did not disrupt a 10:00 a.m. swearing-in ceremony at the Palace for new cabinet ministers. End Summary ¶2. (U) According to media press and police reports, at least four explosions shook downtown Kabul City on January 15, near major government centers, including the Presidential Palace, Central Bank, and Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs and Interior. A suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up near the south gate of the Presidential Palace just before 10:00 a.m. and other armed terrorists, including two suicide bombers, entered a shopping mall across from the Ministry of Justice. The two bombers detonated their vests and the other gunmen waged a three hour gunfight with Afghan army and police while the four-story building burned. Additionally, media reported that a car exploded between the shopping center and the Ministry of Education. ¶3. (U) The National Directorate of Security (NDS) spokesman announced around 2:30 that the Afghan security forces had killed all the terrorists and that the situation was under control. NDS reported that three security forces and two civilians were killed and an estimated thirty civilians and three police wounded. Embassy contacts at the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs told us that although bombs exploded near their ministries, there were no injuries to ministry personnel. All U.S. Embassy and USG contract personnel were accounted for within a few hours of the first reports of the attack. ¶4. (U) President Karzai issued a statement around 3:00 p.m. strongly condemning the attacks and reassuring Afghan citizens of the government's determination to take action necessary to protect them. ¶5. (C) Deputy Ambassador Ricciardone called an Executive EAC after speaking to Palace Chief of Staff Omer Daudzai and Minister of Interior Atmar. According to Atmar, ten suicide bombers had infiltrated the city and all ten of the bombs had been detonated at some point during the five-hour siege. Atmar stressed that security of official buildings was good and gunmen were unable to penetrate those locations, but MOI security forces could not prevent the attacks on unprotected public sites. ¶6. (C) Daudzai told Ricciardone that everyone in the Palace was safe and calm at all times and that President Karzai had insisted the swearing-in ceremony of fourteen cabinet ministers proceed as planned. Daudzai was pleased that the situation was brought under control in five hours, especially considering the complexity of the attacks. He noted that similar 2008 attacks in Mumbai required days to bring under control. Deputy Ambassador Ricciardone expressed U.S. condolences to the Palace and the MOI. ¶7. (C) Ambassador Eikenberry attended a late afternoon press conference to express USG condolences to the Afghan people. We will convene a full EAC on January 19. EIKENBERRY