Despite the Trump administration’s plan to increase military pressure on the Taliban until it gives up violence and comes to the bargaining table, the past year has seen some of the deadliest terror attacks yet in the Afghan War. Kabul, which lies within the 56 percent of the country controlled by the government, has seen several devastating attacks:
In March of last year, gunmen stormed the Sardar Daud Khan hospital in the Afghan capital, killing over 100 people during a six-hour-long attack. IS claimed credit for the attack, but there is evidence to suggest that it was actually carried out by the Taliban’s ultra-violent Haqqani faction.
Last May, over 150 people were killed when a truck bomb exploded in an area of Kabul that contains several foreign embassies and government buildings. The explosion apparently ignited a nearby fuel truck, raising the casualty level substantially. No group has claimed responsibility for this attack, but again the Haqqani Network is suspected of perpetrating it.
In December, over 50 people were killed in a bombing that targeted a Shia cultural center in the city, an attack that was claimed by IS.
In mid-January, around 40 people were killed when gunmen seized control of the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul and engaged in a 12-hour battle with police. Here, too, the Haqqani Network is suspected of involvement.
On Saturday, more than 100 people were killed when an ambulance packed with explosives blew up in a crowded part of Kabul. The Taliban claimed credit for this attack.
Two days later, gunmen attacked the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul, killing 11 people, in an attack claimed by IS.
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