Afghanistan War News Updates -- April 16, 2012

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Kabul Siege Ends After Afghan Soldiers Storm Tower Block -- The Telegraph

Afghan soldiers stormed a half-built tower block after heavy dawn fighting and killed six Taliban fighters, ending a brazen assault which heralded the start of their spring offensive.

Afghan commandos fought floor-by-floor through the building which the militants had seized as a base to launch rocket and machine gun attacks into nearby diplomatic missions including the British embassy.

Those in the tower were the last holdouts of a multipronged attack which saw fighting in up to seven sites in Kabul and in three cities in eastern Afghanistan.

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More News On Afghanistan

Afghan security forces kill 36 insurgents to quell spate of deadly attacks -- Washington Post
Attacks in Afghanistan end after 18 hours of intense battle -- L.A. Times
Afghan attacks: Fighting 'over' in Kabul -- BBC
Insurgents who launched multiple Kabul attacks killed in overnight operation -- The Telegraph
Inside building in Kabul where Taliban launched attack -- BBC
Afghan-Led Forces Beat Back Brazen Taliban Attack -- New York Times
Afghan Forces Repel 18 Hour Attack in Kabul -- Voice of America
Militants launch sophisticated attacks across Afghanistan -- Foreign Policy

Afghan leader Karzai blames attacks on Nato 'failure' -- BBC
Kabul attacks show Nato intelligence failure says Hamid Karzai -- The Telegraph
Taliban’s attack on Kabul shows ‘failure’ of NATO: Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai -- National Post/Reuters
Karzai Sees Intelligence ‘Failure’ in Taliban Attacks -- Voice of America

Insurgent says Haqqani was behind Afghanistan attacks -- CNN
Afghan official: Haqqanis blamed for Kabul attacks -- AP
Afghan Taliban says rehearsed attack for two months -- Reuters
Taliban: Kabul attack revenge for U.S. atrocities -- CBS News
Afghan Taliban Say More Similar Attacks to Come -- New York Times/Reuters

Assault on Kabul: Taliban claim attacks as show of strength -- Christian Science Monitor
Attack in Afghan capital could spark fresh US-Pakistan tension at sensitive time -- Washington Post/AP
Haqqani Offensive? Afghan Forces Battle Insurgents in the Streets of Kabul -- Time
Analysis: What Kabul attacks say about Afghan security -- Bilal Sarwary, BBC News
Afghanistan attacks seem intended to humiliate -- L.A. Times
Taliban's 'spring offensive' reminds Kabul of insurgents' reach -- The Guardian
Analysis: Bold Taliban attacks unlikely to alter U.S. Afghan plans -- Reuters

ISAF Joint Command evening operational update - April 16, 2012 -- ISAF
War In Afghanistan News - 16 April 2012 -- War on Terror News
Afghan soldier shot dead after firing at NATO troops inside military base -- Herald Sun
Afghan Soldier Dead After Attacking Bulgaria NATO Rangers -- Novinite
New explosions rock Kabul after Afghan forces repel earlier attacks -- CNN
Foe to friend? GIs leery about working with Taliban defectors who wanted them dead -- Stars and Stripes
Taliban paid 'protection money' by Afghan government -- The Telegraph
U.S. Ambassador: Early Afghanistan Withdrawal Would 'Set the Stage for Another 9/11' -- National Journal