Afghan minibus hits bomb, 19 killed
Source: Agencies |
December 8, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A MINIBUS struck a roadside bomb while driving in southern Afghanistan yesterday, triggering an explosion that killed 19 Afghan civilians, officials said.
The vehicle was driving on a road in Helmand Province's volatile Sangin District - a Taliban stronghold - when it hit the bomb, said Daoud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Helmand government.
At least five children were among the dead, he said. Another six people were wounded and all were being treated at a NATO base. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack - a common situation when bombs kill civilians.
The blast comes a day after twin bombings on Shiite Muslims celebrating the holiday of Ashoura left 60 dead and sparked fears that attacks in Afghanistan might be taking on a sectarian dimension for the first time. Ashoura honors the death of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in 680 AD.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai cut short a European trip because of Tuesday's attacks and returned to Kabul yesterday to visit the scores of wounded and the bereaved families of those killed in the capital.
A suicide bomber slaughtered 56 Shiite worshippers and wounded more than 160 others on Tuesday outside a shrine where hundreds had gathered to worship. One US citizen was also among the dead, according to a statement issued by the American embassy in Kabul.
The blast, coupled with another smaller explosion in a northern city that killed four people in a holiday vehicle procession, marked the first major assault on a Muslim sect in Afghanistan in recent memory.
Karzai said in a statement shortly after the blast that the attack on Shiites was unprecedented in scope and marked the first time that one had been carried out during a religious event.
His office said yesterday that he had returned to Kabul, cutting short a trip to Britain and Germany.
Families gathered for funerals across the city yesterday. In western Kabul, a group of mourners carried four bodies in a funeral procession through the city's largest Shiite cemetery. They carried pictures of the dead and shouted, "They are martyrs! We honor them!"
It remained unclear what the political reverberations of the attack could be.
The Taliban condemned the attack, which was reminiscent of the wave of sectarian bloodshed that shook Iraq during the height of the war there.
Suspicion centered on militant groups based in neighboring Pakistan, where Sunni attacks on minority Shiites are common.
A man who claimed to be from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, a Pakistan-based group that has carried out attacks against Shiite Muslims, called various media outlets in Pakistan to claim responsibility for the bombing in Kabul. The validity of the claim could not be determined.
The vehicle was driving on a road in Helmand Province's volatile Sangin District - a Taliban stronghold - when it hit the bomb, said Daoud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Helmand government.
At least five children were among the dead, he said. Another six people were wounded and all were being treated at a NATO base. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack - a common situation when bombs kill civilians.
The blast comes a day after twin bombings on Shiite Muslims celebrating the holiday of Ashoura left 60 dead and sparked fears that attacks in Afghanistan might be taking on a sectarian dimension for the first time. Ashoura honors the death of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in 680 AD.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai cut short a European trip because of Tuesday's attacks and returned to Kabul yesterday to visit the scores of wounded and the bereaved families of those killed in the capital.
A suicide bomber slaughtered 56 Shiite worshippers and wounded more than 160 others on Tuesday outside a shrine where hundreds had gathered to worship. One US citizen was also among the dead, according to a statement issued by the American embassy in Kabul.
The blast, coupled with another smaller explosion in a northern city that killed four people in a holiday vehicle procession, marked the first major assault on a Muslim sect in Afghanistan in recent memory.
Karzai said in a statement shortly after the blast that the attack on Shiites was unprecedented in scope and marked the first time that one had been carried out during a religious event.
His office said yesterday that he had returned to Kabul, cutting short a trip to Britain and Germany.
Families gathered for funerals across the city yesterday. In western Kabul, a group of mourners carried four bodies in a funeral procession through the city's largest Shiite cemetery. They carried pictures of the dead and shouted, "They are martyrs! We honor them!"
It remained unclear what the political reverberations of the attack could be.
The Taliban condemned the attack, which was reminiscent of the wave of sectarian bloodshed that shook Iraq during the height of the war there.
Suspicion centered on militant groups based in neighboring Pakistan, where Sunni attacks on minority Shiites are common.
A man who claimed to be from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, a Pakistan-based group that has carried out attacks against Shiite Muslims, called various media outlets in Pakistan to claim responsibility for the bombing in Kabul. The validity of the claim could not be determined.
- 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.
