Members of Canada's diplomatic staff in Kabul were forced to hunker down in a secure part of the embassy on Monday amid an insurgent attack that caused havoc in the city's downtown.
It appears no Canadians were hurt in the attack, which resulted in explosions, gunfire and chaos in the capital.
Ambassador William Crosbie said Monday the Canadian staff were believed to be safe and sound, but cautioned that has not been confirmed.
"I was particularly concerned about those Canadian advisers who were helping Afghan government ministries," Crosbie told The Canadian Press. "So far, from what we know, all the Canadians are safe."
Five people have been confirmed dead, and 71 injured, in the attacks by about 20 insurgents.
Seven attackers were also killed in the melee, which lasted several hours, according to reports.
It was the largest attack on the Afghan capital since gunmen wearing suicide vests invaded a guest house used by UN staff on Oct. 28. Eleven people died in that assault, including three UN workers.
The violence came as President Hamid Karzai was swearing in members of his cabinet, over objections from parliament concerning most of his choices.
Waheed Omar, a spokesperson for the president, said the ceremony took place as scheduled and no one in the palace was hurt.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon issued a statement Monday condemning the violence. He said the attacks, for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility, killed a number of innocent Afghans and injured many more.
"These attacks clearly demonstrate the insurgents in Afghanistan have absolutely no regard for the lives of Afghans and are determined to prevent Afghans from living in peace and security and the Afghan government from working for its citizens," Cannon said.
He extended Canada's condolences to the friends and families of those who were killed in the attacks.
At the end of the statement Cannon emphasized that Canada is in Afghanistan at the request of the country's government, with the goal of building a more stable and secure country.
Crosbie, who was away from Kabul visiting Kandahar at the time of the violence, said the attacks targeted government buildings and places frequented by foreigners.
"(The attacks) are designed to have maximum effect on Westerners," Crosbie said, adding that the violence did not come as a surprise.
"We have been expecting further complex attacks," he said. "They follow a pattern which we have seen in the city."
In addition to strikes against government buildings and embassies, a shopping mall that caters mostly to low-income Afghans, was hit on Monday.
Kabul is home to between four and five million people. Although security personnel are everywhere, Taliban insurgents have shown on several occasions that they are able to strike high profile targets in the city.
Dr. Asmat Naebkhil, an Afghan-Canadian cardiologist working in the city, followed news of the attacks on his radio.
"When people sort of see a light in this dark future tunnel, something happens to drown their hopes again in sadness and hopelessness," Naebkhil said. "The losers in this imperialistic and terrorist war are poor, innocent, hungry and tired Afghan civilians."
With files from The Canadian Press
