Breaking News: Kabul Attacked With Mortar Bombs After American Defense Secretary Landed in Airport

Six rockets landed near Kabul's international airport on Wednesday 

An official has revealed that as many as six rockets have landed near Kabul's international airport on Wednesday shortly after the US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis flew to the Afghan capital for talks.

According to Daily Mail UK, the volley of missiles struck near the military section of the airport, said interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish. Police have cordoned off the area to find the exact location from which the rockets were fired.


The attack came hours after Mattis arrived in the Afghan capital, the first member of Donald Trump's cabinet to visit the war-torn country since his pledge to stay the course in America's longest war.

Officials say the airport and immediate area is being evacuated and all flights have been cancelled, according to an Afghan news channel. Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack on his official Twitter account.

Meanwhile, Islamic State also claimed responsibility via the group's AMAQ news agency said. The news agency said 'infiltrators' used SPG-9 rockets and mortars for the attack.

The unannounced high-level visit comes as Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces struggle to beat back the Taliban, which has been on the offensive since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops at the end of 2014.