Nine killed in Kabul police station attack
Kabul, June 18
Nine persons were killed today when three attackers armed with suicide vests and machine-guns stormed a police station in the heart of the Afghan capital Kabul, officials said. The militants, at least one of whom was in army uniform, got into a compound housing the police station in the crowded main central market area, near the Afghan presidential palace, defence ministry and other official buildings.

Washington, June 18
Some Indians living in Karachi were willing to work with Lashkar-e-Toiba to carry out terror attacks in India, David Headley has said, apparently referring to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who is based in the port city of Pakistan.

During his five-day testimony before a 12-member jury of a Chicago court that conducted the trial of Mumbai attacks co-accused Tahawwur Rana, Headley made the reference to “some” Karachi-based Indians willing to work with LeT leader Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed aka Pasha for executing terrorist attacks inside India.

In response to a question during the testimony, Headley, a Pakistani-American LeT operative, told the court that Pasha had travelled to Karachi to meet these Indians.

It is well known that Dawood Ibrahim has been living in Karachi for quite some time now and carrying out operations against India. His presence in Karachi, is however, denied strongly by Pakistan, even though India has provided concrete evidence in this regard.

“... he (Pasha) had nationals of India who wanted to work in India," Headley said in response to a question.

“Who did Pasha have?” he was asked. “He had some Indian nationals in Karachi,” Headley said.

“Okay. And when you say work, what were they going to do?” the attorney asked again. “Carry out attacks in India,” Headley said in response.

Headley said after being encouraged by the success of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, Al-Qaida commander Ilyas Kashmiri wanted him to travel to India again and carry out surveillance for another set of targets, which included the National Defence College in New Delhi and Chabad houses across the country.

“He said his leadership was very upset about the recent Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip, which was in January of that year, and they wanted to retaliate in some way. So he wanted me to go and look at the Chabad Houses again in India,” Headley said, referring to his conversation with Kashmiri after the Mumbai attacks for which he said the Al-Qaida leader was very pleased.

By leadership, he meant that the individual was the Al-Qaida number three, whom Headley identified as one “al Masri”. Headley said he agreed to go back to India for further surveillance as the leadership desired. The list of Chabad houses for surveillance was given to him by Pasha, who also directed him to go to National Defence College in New Delhi.

“He (Pasha) said if we were able to conduct an attack on it, we would be able to kill more brigadiers in the Indian army than had been killed in the four wars that Pakistan and India had fought previously,” Headley told the court, adding that he received money for tickets, airfare and travelling expenses from Pasha.

Headley said he copied and pasted this list of Chabad houses in India in a secure email, which was created for security purposes by Rana.

“I thought it would be more secure if I wanted to access it in India,” Headley said.

“Why didn't you just keep a handwritten list on your person?” the attorney asked.

“So that if I was stopped and somebody found a list in my pocket, it would not seem right,” he responded.

While in India, Headley said he visited New Delhi, Pushkar and Goa. He carried a camera for video surveillance at all these three places and made observations about each location.

In Delhi, he said, he visited National Defence College at least three-four times and took video of the place. The security at the National Defence College, he said, was lax. “I did see a few going in and out of the place. And I noticed the guards seemed very lax,” Headley said. — PTI 

United Nations, June 18
The 15-member UN Security Council, including India, voted unanimously to split a key sanctions list on the Al-Qaida and the Taliban - a move aimed at backing the Afghan government's reconciliation efforts with insurgents.

The Council voted last night to adopt two resolutions - a new blacklist of individuals and organisations linked to the Al-Qaida and another of those connected with Taliban whose activities focus on Afghanistan. The separate lists are aimed at highlighting differences between the two outfits and make it easier to add and remove people and entities. Following the UNSC move, the Taliban and the Al-Qaida will be treated separately when it comes to enforcement of the travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo imposed in 1999.

India, however, pointed out that the linkages between different non-state actors and the Al-Qaida were close, but it voted in favour to send an unequivocal message.

“We have joined the consensus in favour of the resolutions adopted to convey an unequivocal and resolute message from this council of its steadfast determination in countering terrorism,” said Hardeep Singh Puri, India's envoy to the UN.

The two resolutions give the Afghan government a greater role in determining who is on the Taliban sanctions list. — PTI 

“Talks with the Taliban have started... the talks are going on well,” Karzai said.

“Also, foreign forces, especially the US, are carrying out the talks themselves.” The US-led war in Afghanistan is in its 10th year and there are increasing calls for a political settlement to the conflict. — AFP

Kabul, June 18
Nine persons were killed today when three attackers armed with suicide vests and machine-guns stormed a police station in the heart of the Afghan capital Kabul, officials said. The militants, at least one of whom was in army uniform, got into a compound housing the police station in the crowded main central market area, near the Afghan presidential palace, defence ministry and other official buildings.

Five civilians were among the dead along with three policemen and one officer from Afghanistan's intelligence agency, interior ministry spokesman Najib Nikzad said. Ten civilians and two police were wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest embarrassing breach at a supposedly secure location in Kabul, which comes weeks before limited foreign troop withdrawals are due to start from Afghanistan.

One of the attackers detonated his explosives at the entrance to the compound, allowing his two accomplices into the building, the interior ministry said.

They fired at the police, sparking a gun battle which lasted for around two hours before the pair were killed. “In this incident, three policemen, one intelligence officer and five civilians were killed and two police, along with 10 other civilians were wounded.” Nikzad said. — AFP