On 13 September 2011, just after noon, four to six insurgents left a car at a checkpoint at Abdul Haq square and entered a nine-floor partly constructed building near Kabul's diplomatic district.

[2] Three other insurgents died when they attempted to carry out suicide attacks on Afghan police buildings in another part of the city.

[7] Suspicions were voiced that the attackers must have received assistance from within the Afghan security structure, pointing out that they had evaded multiple checkpoints.

The United States blamed Pakistan's government, mainly Pakistani Army and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy network as the masterminds behind the attack.

"[9] Other top U.S. officials such as Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta made similar statements.