9/11 inspired attack? Taliban breaches US Consulate walls

At least six, including some Afghan police, have been killed in an early morning attack on the US consulate in Afghanistan. 

Taliban has claimed credit for the assault through several news sources and questions have risen to whether or not this is a purposeful 9/11 demonstration in a show that insurgents can still disrupt the region.

Despite the predominantly peaceful history of Harat in recent years, Friday's dawn began with a car explosion that damaged the US Consulate's outer wall allowing the Taliban driven attackers to penetrate the perimeter and begin shooting at the Consulates compound buildings.  Overall, there were five attackers, four of whom were killed or detonated suicide bombs on the scene.

Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi, the governor of Herat province stated that the attack began just before 6 AM with a suicide car bomb that led to other fighters firing on security forces in the area. Two policemen and a consulate security guard were reported killed and 17 others - including four women and two other police - were injured.

In a tweet at 4 AM, Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) stated that the consulate was secure "with all enemy forces being killed".

This is the second attack this month which leaves many locals questioning what may be on the horizon for the Taliban in the region as all foreign troops are expected to exit the country by 2014.