Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
August 4, 2022
A gunbattle in Afghanistan’s capital on August 3 left at least five people dead, including two Taliban police officers, the Taliban spokesman for the Kabul police chief said.
The gunbattle erupted after police launched an operation against a hideout in the Karti Sakhi neighborhood in western Kabul heavily populated by Shi’a, said spokesman Khalid Zadran.
The officers killed at least three of the gunmen, who Zadran said were Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militants.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Four Taliban police officers were wounded, Zadran said, adding that one of the two police officers killed was a woman. One gunman was arrested.
IS-K has recently increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country and is seen as the greatest security challenge facing the country’s Taliban rulers.
Since the Taliban seized power in August last year, they have launched a sweeping crackdown against the Islamic State headquarters in eastern Afghanistan.
Residents of the Shi’ite neighborhood were busy preparing for the upcoming Ashura holiday when the violence took place.
With reporting by dpa, AP, and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi