5 rockets hit Afghan capital, 1 near US Embassy

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Source: Associated Press

Five rockets slammed into Kabul at daybreak Tuesday, one of them falling near the U.S. Embassy in a rare attack on the Afghan capital less than three weeks before presidential elections, police and residents said.

The explosions, heard by AP reporters, occurred to the east of the city, toward the international airport and near several residential areas.

The impact of one of the rockets could be seen about 200 yards (meters) from the U.S. Embassy on a main road of central Kabul. It hit the house of a senior Interior Ministry official but caused no casualties, security officers said.

At the scene, Maj. Ghulam Rasul of the Afghan national army said he believed the five rockets that hit were of the long-range type that can be fired from several miles away. "The capital is closely guarded. They had to fire from far away," Rasul said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090804/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

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1. 5 rockets hit Afghan capital, 1 near US Embassy

Source: AP

5 rockets hit Afghan capital, 1 near US Embassy
By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 8 mins ago

KABUL – At least five rockets slammed into Kabul at daybreak Tuesday, one of them falling near the U.S. Embassy in a rare attack on the Afghan capital fewer than three weeks before presidential elections, police and residents said.

The explosions, heard by AP reporters, occurred to the east of the city, toward the international airport and near several residential areas.

The impact of one of the rockets could be seen about 200 yards (meters) from the U.S. Embassy on a main road in central Kabul. It hit the house of a senior Interior Ministry official but caused no casualties, security officers said.

At the scene, Maj. Ghulam Rasul of the Afghan national army said he believed the rockets were of the long-range BM1 type, which can be fired from portable rocket launchers positioned on the ground several miles from their target. "The capital is closely guarded. They had to fire from far away," Rasul said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090804/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

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2. Al Jazeera: Rockets strike at heart of Kabul

Rockets strike at heart of Kabul



At least seven rockets have been fired into the heart of the Afghan capital, Kabul, in a rare attack that comes less than three weeks before presidential elections.

Police said that at least one child was injured in Tuesday's attack on what is thought of as one of the safest parts of the country.

Said Abdul Ghafar, the Kabul police chief, said that one rocket landed in the Wazir Akbar Khan diplomatic area, home to various embassies, including the US embassy, as well as the Nato-led force headquarters in Afghanistan.

He said that the rest landed elsewhere in Kabul, at least one in a residential neighbourhood.

Witnesses said the rockets caused extensive damage, including broken windows.

A few rounds of gunfire followed the rockets.

A police officer in eastern Kabul said that it was not clear why the shots had been fired but that security forces were all on alert. ... http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/08/20098405653324979.html

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3. More approval for the Mayor of Kabul

The already declared "Winner" of the election.