Flights delayed as rockets again hit Kandahar airport

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Civilian flights were delayed for a second day on Sunday at the Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport in southern Kandahar province following a rocket attack on the airfield, officials said.

The airport was first hit with rockets on Saturday, delaying flights and officials said that the flights would be resumed today, Sunday, but the airport was again hit with rockets this morning.

MassoudPashton, director of Kandahar Airport, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the airport was hit with rockets fired from unknown location today morning.

He said that the attacks caused no human or financial losses, but it delayed flights.

“We hope the flights would resume tomorrow after two days of delay,” he said, adding that the airport was attacked with 21 rockets since the last 10 days without causing any human or financial losses but resulted in delay of flights.

He said security forces were patrolling around the airport for preventing any threats to it. He said that the airport would come under rocket attacks when foreign troops were stationed there but the facility was equipped with defense system.

These rockets were fired by militants to spread fear, Pashton said.

However, there was no word from the Taliban about the attack on the airport.

On the other hand, the governor’s house of Kandahar province was also hit with two mortar strikes today morning, but caused no damages.

A security official, who wished to go unnamed, said that mortar shells fired from unidentified location landed on the compound of the governor’s house, but caused no any damages.

Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport is located 16 kilometers from Kandahar city.

mds/ma

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