Kabul Attack Cause Of Abdullah’s Delayed India Visit
The Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah who was slated to arrive in India yesterday to inaugurate the India-Afghanistan trade & investment has now arrived in the country as per MEA sources. Abdullah who was supposed to be in India by 4:30 PM yesterday was running on a delay due to the Rocket attack at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport and could not inaugurate the India- Afghanistan Trade and Investment show.
"The fact that Abdullah could not arrive today in time, and we are all relieved that he will be here tomorrow morning. In fact (the attack) is part of continued test and pressure that the country has been going through," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
During his visit, Abdullah will call on the PM, President and the EAM.
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis who is on a South Asia tour along with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was the target of the failed attacks.
Taliban had later claimed the responsibility of the attack and accepted that Mattis was the target of the attack. Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson mentioned in a tweet.
As per the US ministry sources, 40 rounds of ammunition were fired towards the south side of the airport out of which 29 were rocket-propelled grenades. The nature of the grenades is unknown as of yet.
It was the Defense secretary’s first visit to Afghanistan post-Trump’s announcement of his South Asia strategy in August.
Mattis along with the Afghan President later gave a joint press statement saying he had only heard some press reports but said, "an attack on an airport anywhere in the world is a criminal act by terrorists."
"If in fact, this is what they have done, they will find the Afghan Security Forces continuing on the offensive against them in every district of the country right now," Mattis added.
