On 22 June 2015, a suicide bomber and six gunmen from the Taliban attacked the Afghan Parliament in Kabul. All six gunmen were later killed by Afghan security forces. Two civilians have been killed in the attack and 31 have been injured. Christine Fair, visiting fellow for national security, ethnic conflict and terrorism at Gateway House, comments on the attack.
Statement:
“The Taliban’s attack in Kabul is significant not only because an attack on the parliament holds symbolic value but also because it occurred just as Masoom Stanekzai’s nomination as Defence Minister was being introduced. It signifies the Taliban’s opposition to Stanekzai, who was previously responsible for negotiations between the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan government.
This attack can also be viewed in the context of a battle for relevance between the Islamic State and the Taliban, as well as the changing interests among the new generation of Afghan Taliban commanders who are frustrated that Pakistan is able to use Afghanistan as a theatre for its own interests.
It is important to note that the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) were able to kill all six gunmen and sustain minimal damage. However, while the ANSF are strong in Kabul, this is not true for other parts of Afghanistan. The Taliban take-over of the Chardara district in the northern Kunduz province on 21 June is indicative of this fact. In addition, money is a critical problem for the ANSF. Without U.S. funding, the Afghan government does not have the revenue to pay for the recurring costs of its security forces.
As the competition between the Taliban and other terrorist groups in the region increases, their operations are likely to expand across South Asia and may even reach India.”
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Click here to listen to Sameer Patil, fellow for national security, ethnic conflict and terrorism at Gateway House, and Christine Fair, visiting fellow for national security, ethnic conflict and terrorism at Gateway House, discuss the Afghan Parliament attack.
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Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations is a foreign policy think tank in Mumbai, India, established to engage India’s leading corporations and individuals in debate and scholarship on India’s foreign policy and the nation’s role in global affairs. Gateway House is independent, non-partisan and membership-based.