Rockets hit Afghan capital as Mattis, NATO chief arrive

Up to 20 rockets have struck the airport and surrounding areas in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul hours after US Defense Secretary James Mattis and NATO’s General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg arrived in the country on an unannounced visit.

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish confirmed the rocket attacks on Wednesday, saying that one rocket had hit a nearby home, injuring five civilians.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Local media outlets cited sources and eyewitnesses in the city’s 9th police district as saying that the rockets had been launched from a residential building, which was reportedly surrounded for a search operation.

There were also reports of sporadic gun fire right after the rockets landed close to the military section of the airport.

The attacks on Wednesday came just three days after a terrorist set off his explosives near a convoy of US-led foreign forces in the Afghan capital, wounding at least five civilians. The Taliban announced responsibility for that bombing.

SS