The recent attack in Kabul was the most widespread attack in the Afghan capital since an assault on the US Embassy and NATO headquarters last September. Though the Taliban did not succeed in capturing the parliament building, they did manage to cause damage to the US, British, Japanese and German embassies and the ISAF bases in the south of the city. 

The Taliban attacks have also disheartened the overly optimism and recent claims made by the Afghan government and NATO forces that the militants were in no position to launch a spring offensive this time.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid commented that dozens of suicide attackers and gunmen were involved in the attacks that had been planned for two months to show the insurgency's power after NATO commanders called the Taliban weak.

He further said that "We are strong and we can attack anywhere we want," calling the attacks an opening salvo ahead of the yearly spring offensive, when warmer weather typically brings increased attacks.