Rockets landed near the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul on Tuesday during prayers for the Muslim festival of Eidul Adha, a live television broadcast showed.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. President Ashraf Ghani and others in the vicinity had to stop the prayers after multiple loud explosions shook the area, TV reports said.
The footage shown on local media showed that participants panicked after the explosions.
Tolonews reported that the rockets were fired from Parwan-e-Se area in Kabul’s District 18 in north of the city. “The rockets landed in Bagh-e-Ali Mardan and Chaman-e-Hozori areas in Kabul’s District 1 and Manabe Bashari area in Kabul’s District 2,” it added.
No casualties
Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility, it was the first rocket attack on Kabul since the Taliban launched a series of offensives to coincide with the final drawdown of foreign troops from the war-wracked country.
The early morning holiday calm was shattered by the sound of incoming rockets heard across the heavily fortified Green Zone that houses the presidential palace and several embassies, including the US mission.
“All the rockets hit three different parts,” said interior ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanikzai.
He said three rockets appeared to have been fired from a pickup truck.
“Based on our initial information, we have no casualties.”
