Ongoing coordinated attack on Bagram wounds nine U.S.

Bagram Airfield-

Bagram, the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan, was attacked this morning just before dawn by dozens of insurgents bent on penetrating two of the bases main gates.  Eleven insurgents were killed by small arms fire as U.S. personnel fended off the attack from guard towers.

According to public affairs sources, one U.S. contractor was killed and nine U.S. military were wounded by either small arms or rockets.  Two have returned to duty.  The first wave of attacks reported began at 3:30 am with indirect fire on the base towers.  Insurgents armed with grenades and rifles then initiated a complex attack trying to break through the fence, according to RC East spokesman, Col. Clarence Counts.  Four out of five of the attackers were wearing suicide vests, but none detonated, Counts said.  The insurgents reportedly walked in from a neighboring village right next to the base.

Public affairs confined us to our media hooch, "Hotel California"- i.e. "you can come anytime you want..." throughout the morning.  I walked out to the bathroom and saw squads of soldiers in full helmets and rifles hanging out by their fallout bunkers.  Disney Drive, the main road strip, was cordoned off by Military Police for much of the morning.

This coordinated attack came the day after a huge vehicle-borne IED hit a NATO convoy killing five U.S. soldiers in Kabul.  It was the largest bombing in Kabul since February.  This is surely the most significant attack on Bagram in a year.  Combined the two attacks seem to be a Taliban show of strength that they can strike at two of the safest places in Afghanistan- Kabul and Bagram, and perhaps a counter-offensive to the coalition offensive already starting in Kandahar.

"Though it is clear the enemy intended a spectacular event here at BAF, they were unable to breach the perimeter and unable to detonate their suicide vests," Counts said in a prepared statement...  "Of my three times (deployments to Bagram) here, this is the first time I'm seen something like this," Counts later said.

Update:  There is still sporadic fire outside the gates.  This appears to be an attack on multiple entry points in an attempt to enter Bagram and kill as many U.S. as possible.  A Taliban spokesman said the planned Kandahar offensive was the motivation for the attack on Bagram.

Public Affairs is not allowing any media coverage of the attack site.  Either the sporadic shooting is still ongoing, or they don't want photos of what appears to be significant damage.

Update 2: Approx. 11:15 am Amber alert was again called over the loudspeakers.  The Military Police stationed on Disney Drive say they are still looking for enemy who have breached inside the wire and everyone is confined to their areas.  Public Affairs spokesman Maj.  McCabe said no enemy has breeched the base's security.

Apparently, some insurgents carried wire cutters and Military Police are acting as if a breach has occured as a security posture.  They have no information any insurgents have penetrated the base of 18,000 people.