KABUL // It was a typically quiet, weekend afternoon in Kabul, with slow-moving traffic clogging the city's muddy streets and young Kabulis loitering and chatting outside glitzy shopping malls.
Suddenly, the calm was shattered by rumours that a suicide bomber was loose in the capital.
As word of an imminent attack spread from street to street and neighbourhood to neighbourhood, drivers lept from their vehicles and fled on foot. Security guards at a local bank shouted at customers to take cover, scrambled to lock the doors and waved their guns wildly towards the street.
The report turned out to be a false alarm. Kabul's police spokesman later said the man police identified as a suicide bomber was actually a beggar. Still, the episode offered a glimpse into the fear that has become as much part of living in the capital as breathing its smoggy air.
A rise on attacks on civilian targets is gnawing at the nerves of Kabul residents. Since January, at least 15 civilians have died in suicide bombings in the capital, against 50 civilians, foreign soldiers and Afghan troops combined in the first six years of the war, according to a list of major attacks compiled by the Associated Press. Nearly 100 civilians have been killed in attacks across the country since the beginning of 2011.
Afghans say they have changed the way they move about Kabul, avoiding roads close to shopping districts, major banks and other locations frequented by foreigners, as well as adjusting the hours they do business in the city.
Police checkpoints have sprung up where only months ago there were none. Afghans say it feels like their capital is no longer a sanctuary from the storm that afflicts many other areas of the country; rather, it is now part of the swirling tempest, too.
Some Afghan refugees, many of whom spent most of their lives in either Pakistan or Iran, but returned to Kabul to rebuild, are now weighing the risks of staying in the city. Others are already searching for a way out.
"These attacks, they are happening all the time now in Kabul," said Zmaray, 28, a Afghan taxi driver who grew up in Pakistan but returned home in 2002. "Now, all of a sudden, we can't go to this area of Kabul, or maybe we will be attacked in another one. For us, nowhere is safe."
The international humanitarian aid effort is also deeply affected by the prospect of violence.
Oxfam International, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other aid organisations have imposed severe restrictions on the movement of their employees. A number of restaurants, bars, supermarkets and shopping districts once considered safe are now "completely off-limits" for aid workers, said Louise Hancock, Oxfam International's press officer in Afghanistan.
Residing inside fortified, walled compounds, the thousands of aid workers and other expatriates sense the world closing in on them. With Taliban-led insurgents now able to carry out co-ordinated attacks on United Nations facilities and the guesthouses where foreigners live, they know they are unlikely to escape the rising tide of attacks.
"In 2010, it was still possible, as a foreigner, to trick oneself into believing Kabul was a bubble of security, and the war was happening somewhere beyond," one female foreign aid worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
"Now, the war is undeniably here, on our doorsteps. Afghans have felt that for a long time, but the expat feeling of insulation is definitely gone now."
Behind the escalating violence in the capital is the growing confidence and military capability of the Islamist insurgents fighting the government of President Hamid Karzai. Once Kabul is robbed of its safety, Afghans say, it is unlikely the Afghan government will recover.
"The Taliban are now displaying publicly their brutality by attacking purely civilian targets and then taking responsibility," said Nader Nadery, the commissioner at the Kabul-based Afghan Independent Commission for Human Rights. "This has created a high level of anger among Afghans, but also a lot of fear. Nobody knows how dangerous Kabul will become."
Military experts say insurgents are most likely bringing the war to Kabul in an attempt to undermine the authority of the Afghan government before the deadline in July 2011 deadline for the withdrawal of some foreign troops. The government cannot weather a capital that has been robbed of safety, they say.
A US military adviser, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "Insurgents have their eye on Kabul. There's no doubt about that. Our intel indicates an insurgent plan to encircle the capital and eventually attack it in a major way. It's not a matter of if but when Kabul will become one of the war's key battlegrounds."
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
RACE CARD
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Amith's selections:
5pm: AF Sail
5.30pm: Dahawi
6pm: Taajer
6.30pm: Pharitz Oubai
7pm: Winked
7.30pm: Shahm
8pm: Raniah
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
RESULTS
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $49,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.05pm Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner El Patriota, Vagner Leal, Antonio Cintra
7.40pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,000m
Winner Ya Hayati, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Althiqa, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Soft Whisper, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Bedouin’s Story, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Overview
Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press