FINAL UPDATE: MAJOR TALIBAN ATTACK ON NATO/ISAF IN KABUL PUT DOWN WITH FEW CASUALTIES

Afghan police to the attack in Kabul. Photo: Reuters

UPDATE, 12:50 AM CDT, June 10 -- "Today’s clashes in Kabul ended with all of the insurgents killed by Afghan security forces. Two insurgents were able to detonate their explosive-laden vests and five others were killed by security forces. The clearance operation inside the building is underway. Five suicide vests and some weapons were left at the scene. In this incident, civilians and security forces were unharmed. The situation is back to normal." - via ISAF: NATO forces in Afghanistan Facebook page, quoting Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior (MoI).

A report from Bakhtar News says that 7 suicide attackers were killed. "General Ayoob Salangi police chief of Kabul said BNA, at 5 am, seven suicide attackers armed with heavy and light weapons attacked Kabul International Airport from two under construction buildings near the Airport. According to him, two of the attackers exploded their suicide vest and five others were killed in 3 hour clash by security forces." There were no casualties among civilians or the security forces.

UPDATE, 1:08 AM CDT, June 10 -- "Kabul police saying that all 7 bombers whom were wearing Afghan Border police (ABP) uniforms were gunned down 2 civilians injured." via Sharifullah Sahak  (@sharifsahak)

The attack focused on the US Air Force facility and a nearby detention center where  drug traffickers are held. TOLO news reports the attack is on an area that houses an ISAF/NATO command center. (Via The Australian.) In related news, the British Embassy in Kabul said on June 9 that the Afghan detainees will be handed over very soon, reports TOLO.

Earlier Reports:
June 9, 2013 -- 7:30 PM CDT -- A major terrorist offensive is occurring now at Kabul International Airport. Large explosions and gunfire have been heard, suicide bombers are intruding, and there are reports of insurgents firing rockets. Targeted areas seem to include NATO and US Air Force areas, a counter narcotics building. The attack began around 4:20 AM local time. See current time and weather in Kabul.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. "Spokesman [Zabiullah] Mujahid in a text message to journalists claiming responsibility for #Kabul attack on military side of the airport," tweeted Sharifullah Sahak ‏(@sharifsahak), a journalist working for The New York Times in Kabul.

Chicago News Bench was the first to speculate that the attack might be reprisal for the arrest of a Taliban leader today: "An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and two other extremists during an operation in Kandahar City, Kandahar province, today. The leader oversees a group of extremists involved in improvised explosive devices operations in Kandahar City. He has a history of building multiple types of IEDs and directing his subordinates to carry out attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Kandahar City." (Source: ISAF news release, 9 June 2013) 1TV Kabul apparently agrees with Chicago News Bench's assessment, later quoting the same ISAF news release. (Thanks for reading CNB, 1TV!)

"One insurgent detonated himself at compound entrance in the centre of the city at the start of fighting, which left several buildings destroyed or damaged by rocket-propelled grenades, gunfire and explosions," reports The Telegraph UK. "One policeman, two civilians and all four militants died in that attack, with the government lauding the response of the Kabul security forces for preventing further casualties."

The US embassy in Kabul was on lockdown for a while but seems to be in "all clear" status as of approximately 8:15 PM CDT. The embassy earlier confirmed an "on-going attack" in Kabul, the capitol city. The US embassy is located next to NATO's ISAF headquarters (International Security Assistance Force). SEE MAP. At 8:00 PM CDT, ISAF tweeted, "Shelter in Place lifted, Camp Lockdown still in effect at ISAF HQ."

U.S. Plot to Kill Al-Awlaki Included Fighter Jets, Special Ops

September 30, 2011 - U.S. forces killed two U.S. citizens who had become important Al Qaeda operatives. Dead are senior Al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki Samir Khan, plus two others who were traveling with them in Yemen early this morning. The terrorists were taken out by "a CIA-led U.S. drone strike, marking the highest-profile takedown of terror leaders since the raid on Usama bin Laden's compound," reports Fox News. The operation involved two Predator drones. They flew over al-Awlaki's convoy and fired Hellfire missiles, killing al-Awlaki. Fox News says that a senior U.S. official claims that the operation "was carried out by Joint Special Operations Command, under the direction of the CIA."

A CBS News report late today notes that the U.S. military and intelligence forces tracked Anwar al-Awlaki for a number of years. "Awlaki," says CBS, "who apparently inspired the Fort Hood major who killed 13 service members and whose ties to al Qaeda may go back as far as the 9/11 hijackers, was tracked down leaving a funeral in Yemen and killed by a rocket fired from a U.S. drone aircraft." "Al-Awlaki would be the most prominent Al Qaeda figure to be killed since bin Laden's death in a U.S. raid in Pakistan in May," says Fox News, which also notes that U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in July that Al-Awlaki was on the most wanted list, which included Ayman al-Zawahri, bin Laden's successor as the terror network's leader." The FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List says that "Ayman Al-Zawahiri has been indicted for his alleged role in the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya." Al-Awlaki, says the FBI, was designated by the United States as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist” on July 12, 2010. (Also see Terrorism Designations Press Releases, U.S. Dept. of State) CBS reports that while Samir Khan two fellow convoy passengers were also killed, Awlaki was the real target. "He had narrowly escaped an earlier drone strike the week after the Bin Laden raid," said CBS, "and this time the U.S. was taking no chances." Fox News notes that "Al-Awlaki was a U.S.-born Islamic militant cleric who became a prominent figure with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the network's most active branch." One of Al-Awlaki's most important roles within Al Qaeda was propagandist. As a native English speaker and one who had first hand knowledge of American culture, he was especially effective at recruiting jihadists from within the U.S. "Awlaki has become a prominent cyber-jihadist," reported Long War Journal in July. "Combining his ability to communicate in English with his charisma with young, radical Muslims and his presence on the Web, Awlaki has developed a large following. He gives numerous lectures and speeches via the Internet and teleconferences. US law enforcement agencies and intelligence services consider Awlaki to be a prime recruiter for al Qaeda as well as a provider of the needed religious justifications, or fatwas, for jihadis to carry out attacks." That deadly voice has been silenced. There will be others.