(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The US Department of State on Friday confirmed that its citizens and diplomatic personnel are safe, following a Taliban attack on a Kabul guesthouse for the American aid group Roots for Peace
Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf condemned the attack, in which gunmen stormed the building and took four people hostage for several hours
"Afghanistan security forces have neutralized the remaining attackers and played a crucial role in evacuating civilians," she said, adding that Roots for Peace is a group backed by the US International Agency for Development (USAID) and "only seeks to help Afghans improve their lives and their livelihoods." Tensions are high across Afghanistan ahead of the April 5 presidential vote, due to the Taliban's threats to disrupt the election
"The Taliban's actions demonstrate the growing distance between them and the Afghan people," noted Harf. "And at a time when Afghans are engaged in an inclusive dialogue about the future of their country in the run-up to the election, the Taliban continues to offer nothing but an agenda of violence and fear like we saw today."
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