2 killed, 22 injured in Kabul spy agency attack

PanARMENIAN.Net - Six suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on Afghanistan's spy agency in Kabul on Wednesday, January 16 killing at least two and wounding 22 others, Afghan officials said, according to Reuters.

The attack started at around noon (0730 GMT) when the first assailant detonated a large car bomb near the entrance to the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Kabul police chief's office said in a statement.

Five others strapped with explosives and driving a minivan were shot dead as they tried to enter the NDS compound, it said.

Two NDS guards were killed by the first bomber and 22 others wounded, security and health officials said.

The bombers managed to breach the heavily barricaded center of the capital, home to several Afghan ministries and Western embassies.

The Taliban sent a text message to media stating the attack had taken place, but did not claim responsibility.

NDS head Asadullah Khalid survived an assassination attempt last month in an attack that threatened to derail a nascent and already fragile peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Violence across the country has been increasing over the last year, sparking concern over how the 350,000-strong Afghan security forces will be able to manage once foreign troops withdraw.