KANDAHAR, Afghanistan ? A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a checkpoint in a neighborhood near a guest house used by the United Nations in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar early Monday, killing three guards, Afghan officials said.
Security forces were exchanging fire with armed insurgents who rushed into the area and seized control of a building, Kandahar police chief Gen. Abdul Razzaq said.
NATO said that Afghan security forces were "leading the efforts against the attackers."
Immediately after the bomb attack, which occurred at around 6:15 a.m. in Kandahar, several insurgents rushed into the area and seized control of an animal clinic near the office of the International Relief and Development organization, said Faisal Khan, head of the Kandahar Media office. The clinic and IRD offices are near guest houses affiliated with both the IRD and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, he said.
The area is also home to several other international NGO offices and guest houses.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with spokesman Qari Youssef saying the insurgents were targeting the U.N. guest house.
Khan said two other people were wounded in the blast.
The attack comes two days after the Taliban launched a brazen midday suicide bombing in Kabul, striking a NATO convoy on Saturday and killing 17 people, including five NATO service members, eight civilian contractors and four Afghans.
No comments:
Post a Comment