Rocket strikes Afghan president’s helicopter

An Afghan official says militants fired two rockets into the military side of the Kabul airport, striking President Hamid Karzai’s helicopter as it sat on the tarmac. Abdul Wahab Wardak, the commander of the military airport, says only one of the two rockets exploded in on Thursday’s attack and no casualties were reported. But he says the Russian-made military helicopter used to transport Karzai was set on fire.

The attack on the airport, which is in one of the most heavily guarded areas of the Afghanistan capital Kabul, underscores the resiliency of militants led by the Taliban who are fighting against the Western-backed government. Insurgents in the country have stepped up attacks as part of their annual summer offensive when they take advantage of warmer weather to move more freely in the mountainous country.