12 killed in double suicide attack
Source: Agencies |
September 2, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TWO suicide attackers, one driving a fuel tanker, blew themselves up near a US base in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, killing at least 12 people, officials said.
The attack took place around dawn in the town of Sayed Abad in Wardak Province, about 70 kilometers from its capital city of Kabul.
The US-led NATO coalition said that no American or coalition troops were killed in the blasts. It confirmed that a number of troops were wounded, but did not say how many, in accordance with coalition policy.
Shahidullah Shadid, a spokesman for the Wardak provincial governor, said one suicide bomber detonated a vest rigged with explosives outside a compound housing the district governor's office as well as local police and Afghan army headquarters. A second bomber driving a fuel tanker detonated his bomb on a road separating the compound from the base.
Shadid said the dead included eight civilians and four Afghan police.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, which he said was targeting the US base.
Government officials said the first attacker blew himself up to try to eliminate the Afghan security force guarding the compound and clear the way for the truck to hit the base down the road from the governor's complex. The second bomber then blew up the tanker as he was approaching the base.
"A small explosion happened followed by a big one caused by a truck," said eyewitness Hamidullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name.
The governor's office said 59 people were wounded - two NATO troops, 47 civilians and 10 Afghan police officers.
In a separate incident yesterday, NATO said that two US soldiers were killed in eastern Ghazni province. It did not provide any further information or details about the deaths, the first this month. A total of 53 foreign troops were killed in Afghanistan in August.
The attack took place around dawn in the town of Sayed Abad in Wardak Province, about 70 kilometers from its capital city of Kabul.
The US-led NATO coalition said that no American or coalition troops were killed in the blasts. It confirmed that a number of troops were wounded, but did not say how many, in accordance with coalition policy.
Shahidullah Shadid, a spokesman for the Wardak provincial governor, said one suicide bomber detonated a vest rigged with explosives outside a compound housing the district governor's office as well as local police and Afghan army headquarters. A second bomber driving a fuel tanker detonated his bomb on a road separating the compound from the base.
Shadid said the dead included eight civilians and four Afghan police.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, which he said was targeting the US base.
Government officials said the first attacker blew himself up to try to eliminate the Afghan security force guarding the compound and clear the way for the truck to hit the base down the road from the governor's complex. The second bomber then blew up the tanker as he was approaching the base.
"A small explosion happened followed by a big one caused by a truck," said eyewitness Hamidullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name.
The governor's office said 59 people were wounded - two NATO troops, 47 civilians and 10 Afghan police officers.
In a separate incident yesterday, NATO said that two US soldiers were killed in eastern Ghazni province. It did not provide any further information or details about the deaths, the first this month. A total of 53 foreign troops were killed in Afghanistan in August.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
