News, June , 2007
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Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names. |
3 US Soldiers, 36 Afghanis Killed, Including 22 Policemen, in a Suicide Bombing in Kabul
Editorial Note:
In the past, many of the casualties were Afghani civilians despite claims they were Taliban fighters.
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Bomb in Afghan Capital Kills at Least 35; 3 Soldiers From U.S.-Led Coalition Killed in South
By RAHIM FAIEZ Associated Press Writer
Jun 17, 2007, 10:07 AM EDT
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) --
An enormous bomb ripped through a police academy bus at Kabul's busiest transportation hub Sunday, killing at least 35 people in the deadliest attack in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
The thunderous explosion in Kabul, which sheared the metal sidings and roof off the bus, leaving only a charred skeleton, represented a leap in scale from Taliban bombings here, raising the specter of an increase in Iraq-style attacks in Afghanistan.
In the country's south, a roadside explosion killed three soldiers from the U.S.-led coalition and their Afghan interpreter. The brief statement about the southern blast did not disclose the soldiers' nationalities. The U.S.-led coalition is comprised of special forces soldiers from several nations; most are American.
35 die as bomb rips through bus in Kabul
By RAHIM FAIEZ Associated Press Writer
Jun 17, 2007, 9:22 AM EDT
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) --
An enormous bomb ripped through a police academy bus at Kabul's busiest transportation hub Sunday, killing at least 35 people in the deadliest attack in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
The thunderous explosion - which sheared the metal sidings and roof off the bus, leaving only a charred skeleton - represented a leap in scale from previous Taliban bombings here, raising the specter of an increase in Iraq-style attacks in Afghanistan.
At least 35 people were killed, including 22 policemen, said Ahmed Zia Aftali, head of Kabul's military hospital. At least 35 others were wounded, hospital officials said. A victim said the bus had been filled with police instructors.
A purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said a Taliban suicide bomber named Mullah Asim Abdul Rahman caused the blast. Rahman, 23, was from Kabul province, said Ahmadi, who called an Associated Press reporter by satellite phone from an undisclosed location. His claim could not be verified.
If confirmed, it would be the fifth suicide attack in Afghanistan in three days.
Unidentifiable body parts littered the blast site 30 yards away. Hundreds of police and investigators - with some pulling bodies from the wreckage - ordered civilians to leave the area, an outdoor bus station normally teeming with people.
At a nearby hospital, a large blue plastic trash can overflowed with the bloodied shoes and sandals of victims.
"I lay under the shadow of a tree when my son came over and asked if I was OK. It was such a shock that I even forgot that my son was there," he said.
At least one person on the bus survived the 8:10 a.m. attack. Nasir Ahmad, 22, was sitting in the back of the bus when the blast went off. He said the bus had been filled with police instructors.
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Associated Press reporters Noor Khan in Kandahar and Amir Shah in Kabul contributed to this report.
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