Deadly attacks in Afghan capital show Taliban's strength

KABUL — A week after proclaiming their spring offensive, Taliban militants stormed an Afghan government security agency with a suicide car bomb and gunfire Tuesday, killing 28 people and wounding hundreds in a sign of the insurgency’s continued strength — even in the capital.

The coordinated attack in central Kabul appeared to have targeted an agency that provides an elite security force for high-ranking government officials, similar to the U.S. Secret Service.

On April 12, the insurgents announced the start of their warm-weather fighting season, vowing to carry out large-scale attacks in the 15th year of their war against the U.S.-backed government.

The Taliban has remained resilient as the government struggles to confront the violence amid a bitter feud between President Ashraf Ghani and the country’s chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah.

In the Taliban’s announcement about its spring offensive, the militant group said it would use different tactics to put added pressure on the government, said political analyst Haroun Mir.