February 2010 Kabul attack


The February 2010 Kabul attack on 26 February 2010 was a combined suicide bombing and shooting attack. A car bomb levelled the Arya Guesthouse, also known as the
Hamid Guesthouse,
popular with Indian doctors.
Two armed attackers then entered the nearby Park Residence, housing other foreigners. One detonated a suicide bomb, and the other was shot dead.
The Safi Landmark Hotel nearby was badly damaged by the blasts.
At least 18 people were killed and 36 more were injured.
According to initial intelligence reports, the attack was directed against Indian presence in Afghanistan and was carried out by Pakistan-based militants.

Background

In early 2010, U.S. and British forces launched a major military campaign in Marjah during which the Taliban suffered a series of setbacks.
In February 2010, India and Pakistan started peace talks for the first time since 2008 Mumbai attacks. The Taliban has strongly opposed Indian presence in Afghanistan, especially because India has extensively helped Northern Alliance forces in the past. Pakistan, an arch-rival of India, is also against the increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan and Pakistani intelligence agencies continue to maintain deep ties with the Taliban. India has contributed more than $2 billion for reconstruction in Afghanistan and has close ties with president Hamid Karzai who was educated in India. Most of Indian aid goes into building roads, electrical power plants and providing health care. American intelligence believe that a previous attack on Indian embassy in Kabul was supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

Attack

Hamid Guest House and Park Residence the two guest houses targeted are located in the Shar-e-Naw neighborhood of Kabul. The first assault included a suicide car bomb attack next to Hamid Guest house frequented by Indian nationals in Kabul. It left a crater 12 feet across and 8 feet deep. Soon after the car bomb exploded, armed militants stormed Park Residence which is popular with Europeans which resulted in a firefight that lasted for more than 90 minutes.

Casualties

Of the 18 people dead, nine were Indian nationals. Three Afghan police officers, a French filmmaker Severin Blanchet and an Italian diplomat Pietro Antonio Colazza were also among those dead.

Indian casualties

The Times of India reported that among the dead were Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel stationed in Afghanistan. The dead also included Indian physicians treating poor Afghan children at the Indira Gandhi childrens hospital. Major Jyotin Singh was one of the doctors from the Indian army's Medical Corps who lost his life in preventing the attack. Major Jyotin Singh was unarmed but physically prevented the suicide bomber from entering the Arya guesthouse saving many lives.

Responsibility

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack within hours. Their spokesman Mujahid said that the attack was not specifically targeted against India, but against Europeans and Americans.
The next week, however, Afghan intelligence officials said the Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba was involved in the attacks,
saying in a TV interview they were "very close" to proving that "this attack was carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba network, who are dependent on the Pakistan military."
U.S. intelligence officials and Pakistani analysts have said that Lashkar-e-Taiba militants have been training with associates of the Haqqani network in North Waziristan. Indian officials suspect that the Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Taiba worked in concert.
A report in The New York Times suggested that Pakistan and its agencies could be responsible for the attack. A U.S. intelligence report says Pakistan "has continued to provide support to its militant proxies, such as Haqqani Taliban, Gul Bahadur group, and Commander Nazir group." Analyst Jeremy Page feared that the attacks could hamper the ongoing peace talks between India and Pakistan.

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