Afghan Forces Quell Attack on Kabul Airport

“The terrorist attack on Kabul airport ended with the death of seven suicide bombers,” said Gen. Mohammed Ayub Salangi, the Kabul police chief. “Two of the bombers blew themselves up and five others, who had occupied a building under construction, were killed by the security forces,” he said.

He added that no civilians or members of the security forces had been killed during the fight and that the only injured were a woman and an elderly man who had been struck by stray bullets.

When the attack began, sirens went off at international compounds across Kabul and foreigners were cautioned not to leave protected areas. Heavy explosions could be heard.

The head of the airport, Mohammad Yaqub Rasuli, described the attackers as “an unknown number of suicide bombers.” He spoke by telephone as he was on his way to the airport. Citing reports from his staff, he said gunmen had taken up positions in a tall building to the north of the airport and were shooting at the side of the airport maintained by American and other international forces.

All civilian flights were canceled when the attack started but the airport reopened immediately after it was over, Mr. Rasuli said. Several flights were diverted to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a text message and an e-mail to journalists.

The response by Kabul’s security forces indicated that their speed and organization had improved markedly over the past few years. In earlier coordinated attacks by insurgents, civilians caught in the cross-fire were often killed or wounded and large sections of the capital were locked down for up to 20 hours. Although much depends on the tactics of the insurgents, it appeared that the Kabul police and Afghan special forces are now able to move faster and with less disruption to daily life.

It was the second major attack in Kabul in less than three weeks. On May 24, insurgents assaulted a guesthouse used by the International Organization for Migration.

The Kabul airport has several zones. One large area is used by American and other international military forces. Another is for commercial flights and is run and used by both Afghan and international companies. The morning is always especially busy with many arriving and departing flights.

The American and international zone has a deep security perimeter and from some gates it can take 10 to 15 minutes to drive to the headquarters buildings. It was unclear where the first explosions had happened and whether the bombers had reached the northern gate or had detonated their explosives before they got there.

The Kabul police and Afghan security forces put down the attack with international troops acting only in an advisory role, according to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, whose press operation is at the airport.

A spokesman for the assistance force, Capt. Luca Carniel, left unclear whether the militants had penetrated the perimeter. “We are aware of an attack near the Kabul airport,” he said. “That’s it. It takes time to collect facts.”

Later, a spokeswoman said she did not think that fighters had breached the perimeter. “Not that we’re aware of,” Lt. Anne-Marie Annicelli said.

No ISAF personnel were injured in the incident and none of its equipment or property was damaged, according to a preliminary assessment, said Brig. Gen. Gunter Katz, a spokesman. He added that people should expect more similar attacks. "We can expect high-profile attacks, we can expect more insider attacks and we can expect some assassinations, but attacks like that today do not affect the overall security situation."

Meanwhile, in Zabul Province in southern Afghanistan, six suicide bombers tried to enter the provincial council building after setting off a car bomb. At least 18 people were wounded, including provincial council members, said Mohammad Jan Rasoolyaar, the deputy governor. The police killed the suicide bombers, Gen. Ghulam Sakhi Rooghliwanai, the Zabul police chief, said.

President Hamid Karzai had left Afghanistan on Sunday to attend a forum for Islamic countries in Qatar.

 Sangar Rahimi contributed reporting.

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