Kabul residents recall airstrike shock

KABUL: In Kabul’s Taimani neighbourhood, residents were still recovering from an airstrike on Wednesday afternoon, hours before the ceasefire came into force.

Bashir Ahmad, a doctor at EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre in Kabul, a facility for war victims, said 34 people were brought there after the strike with numerous wounds, including fractures to the head and legs and severe burns.

Abdul Kabir, whose office is located in the area, recalled a “terrifyingly loud sound” when the strike hit.

“Everything suddenly went dark...the house across from our office...was completely destroyed by the rocket, from the top floor down to the ground,” he said.

A mixed residential and commercial neighbourhood, Taimani is dotted with high-rise buildings and lies about a 20-minute drive from the capital city’s centre.

Mawludin, another victim who gave only his first name, said he was buried under glass by the explosion and was pulled out by his friends.

“When I got outside...everything was dark, and there was dust everywhere. Everyone, old and young, was in bad condition,” he said.