Taliban Attempt to Siege Kabul’s North Gate Hotel

On Monday August 1st, an Afghan compound used by US military contractors was rocked by an explosion from a large truck bomb. The event occurred at the North Gate compound on the outskirts of Kabul at around 1:30 a.m.

Promptly following the detonation, two gunmen attempted to breach the compound. According to Kabul police chief Abdel Rahman Rahimi, the two gunmen failed to force their way into the resort and instead took up station in a nearby house. Gunfire and other explosions followed the truck bombing for several hours until the both of the attackers, in addition to one police officer, were killed in the combat.

Reports from several witnesses illustrated the massive size of the explosion, one that shut down power in sectors surrounding the compound and shook several buildings. An individual interviewed by the BBC illustrated the size of the initial explosion by claiming that it was the largest he ever experienced. The witness added that the compound was likely attacked due to the leniency of the Afghan police force on checkpoints during the later hours of the night.

Commonly known as the Northgate Hotel, the Kabul compound is utilized as a housing complex for visiting foreign security contractors. Many who attend the hotel are known to provide logistical support to the Afghan military and other security organizations. Despite the level of security at the North Gate and the importance of those who stay there, the Taliban have previously been able to conduct several attacks on the compound, such as their assault on the facility in 2013, in which seven contractors were killed.

According to Afghan security officials however, no contractors staying at the compound were injured during the attacks on Monday.

Proceeding the bombardment and subsequent assault on the North Gate hotel, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement. The terrorist group cited the facility as a target because it is a “place of vulgarity and profanity” for foreign “invaders” who must leave Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Afghan security forces have responded to the terrorist acts by closing roads near the base and launching an operation to clear the site.

One week prior to the Taliban bombing, Kabul faced its deadliest attack this year in which two suicide bombers linked to Islamic State killed 80 people and wounded 230 others. The bombing took place during a protest in the city center that targeted civilians from the Shiite Hazara minority. The Hazara ethnicity has a long legacy in Sunni-Shia conflicts both in Afghanistan and Syria. The IS bombing can be viewed as  both an attempt to bring the Afghan theater into the wider Sunni-Shia conflict and to extend the borders of its jihadist front, a strategy Islamic State has followed in other areas where it needed to compete with established Sunni jihadist groups.

Conversely, the Taliban’s assault on the North Gate hotel likely indicates that it views targeting civilians as currently unnecessary. As the Long War Journal has noted, the Taliban is selective about targeting civilians and while it has a code of conduct which largely precludes civilian targeting, it ignores these restrictions when there are concerns regarding loss of influence or control over territories to the Afghan government. The Taliban’s adherence to targeting security forces can thus serve as an indicator of how the Taliban views its position vis-à-vis challengers.