The Korea Herald

소아쌤

Rockets fall near S. Korean embassy in Afghanistan

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Published : Sept. 15, 2011 - 09:54

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Several rockets fell near the South Korean embassy in Afghanistan this week, but no casualties were reported, a foreign ministry official said Thursday.

Three or four rounds of rocket-propelled grenades landed close to the embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, but they did not appear to be aimed at the building, the official said on the condition of anonymity.

"The rockets were fired during a Taliban attack on NATO headquarters and the U.S. embassy, which is located close to our embassy, and three or four rounds fell on buildings and roads surrounding our premises," the official said.

Safety measures have already been installed in the South Korean embassy to protect it against such attacks, the official added.

A South Korean base in Charikar, a city in the northern Afghan province of Parwan, has come under attack 13 times this year, although no casualties or property have been reported so far. The base is home to South Korea's provincial reconstruction team of about 90 aid workers and police officers, along with some 340 troops who protect them. Since two months ago, Parwan police officers have been patrolling the base at nighttime as a precautionary measure.

Many fear that security conditions in the war-torn nation are likely to deteriorate further after the scheduled withdrawal of U.S.-led combat troops by 2014. (Yonhap News)