The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 03:56 PM

Defense Secretary Gen. Mattis Target Of Taliban Rockets As He Lands In Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan officials say one woman was killed and 11 other civilians were wounded when Taliban rockets hit the Kabul airport earlier in the day.

The insurgents have said they targeted the plane of visiting U.S. secretary of defense, Jim Mattis in Wednesday's attack. Mattis was not at the airport at the time of the attack but was meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish says two of the rockets hit two civilian houses near the airport. Earlier, Afghan officials said the insurgents fired up to about six projectiles at and near the airport.

Danish says "four of the terrorists" were killed in a gunbattle that followed the attack.