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Taliban suicide bombing rocks airport in Afghanistan

Published time: February 27, 2012 03:18
Edited time: February 28, 2012 04:01
An Afghan policeman keeps watch as locals inspect the wreckage of a car at the site of a suicide attack in the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province on February 27, 2012. (AFP Photo / Noorullah Shirzada)
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A massive explosion has hit Jalalabad Airport in eastern Afghanistan. At least nine people have been killed in the incident which comes amid violence sparked by the Koran burning at a US military base.

Police in Nangarhar province have confirmed that "a very strong" explosion has gone off at the entrance to the airport on Monday morning. The attacker drove up to the gates of the airport shortly after dawn and detonated his explosives, Associated Press news agency reports.

At least nine people have died and 12 more wounded, but the number of casualties could rise even higher. Among the dead were six civilians, two airport guards and one soldier, all of them Afghans, local authorities said. NATO says none of their troops was harmed in the attack.

An AP photographer confirmed seeing at least four destroyed cars at the airport gates. NATO forces have cordoned off the area as the search and rescue operation continues.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in retaliation for the burning of the Koran by NATO forces.

George Little, a spokesman for the US Defense Department, has said that the US military will remain fully committed to its mission in Afghanistan and will continue to build trust with Afghans despite the recent deadly violence. US officials have already apologized for the book-burning incident.

A day earlier at least two Afghans were killed and seven NATO troops injured as the country was swept by riots caused by the burning of copies of the Koran and other holy books. More than 30 people, including four US troops, have been killed in the six days of unrest.

Due to the situation in the country, senior Afghan officials have canceled their trip to Washington, the Pentagon announced. The visit, scheduled for this week, was forestalled because the officials need to stay in the country to tackle the ongoing violence and protect the NATO employees. The delegation includes Afghanistan’s Interior and Defense Ministers.

Comments (21)

trepan 28.02.2012 05:24

Sams wrote in #16
Eurasian wrote in #9
Back in time the westerners played the nasty tricks on the Russians in Afghanistan, while the Russians didn’t go there to invade but then saw themselves cornered and had to send troops to defend their personal of teachers, doctors, engineers. Now Russia didn’t respond the same way to the west, but the Afghani themselves finally realised is time to kick them out -thus the west wouldn’t follow the Russian example to leave voluntary the place. It might come to this point that the Afghani to ask Russia help them lick the western heard of hyenas NATO (44 of them) out. There is a proverb: whatever you put in your soup,it comes into your spoon ,who created and supported Taliban ,Al Qaeda, who caused 9/11 disaster ,it doesn't have be supper natured person to understand and analyse these simple matters ,watching recently some contributory to American politics, regret to say some of those are so uninformed, uneducated, unintelligent , just pure red-neck,I wonder why they are having so much problems, on the other hand watched RT'S interview of Mr Pat Buchanan, Promise you if he was elected as president at the time ,unlike previous administration ,today America wouldn't be bankrupt .     Oh my god Sams! Tell me you did not just endorse Pat Buchanan for President of the U.S.! Talk about an ignorant red-neck-far-right imbecile! The only candidate who is actually running that would make a difference in foreign policy or economic policy is Ron Paul. Pat Buchanan is further right and a bigger idiot than George W Bush.

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Trepan 28.02.2012 01:16

Okay! Everyone out of the pool!!!   We obviously don't understand these backward f---ers, and I for one am sick of these flare ups over nothing but a misunderstanding. Why the hell are we there? We have done what we set out to do, now its time to stop playing police and go. The Taliban is not our real enemy, Al Queda was. Let the Taliban take over that f---ing wasteland if they want. Lets get out of the Middle East and STAY OUT!   Stop being Israel's little lap dogs!

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brightlight 27.02.2012 22:48

1970's 1980's crime deals chemical rape of men not liked by crime lords an worse mind games to have such persons wimp an self death, sorry i back kill teams on crime lords take an remove there command by force of law, such flaws as no is of gods is of drug lord an world crime with in gov murder , now whom hasent started a conflict past 1980's less keep our world war on crime as end all of such lies schooled to persons whom no speek the same DEATH FOR ALL DRUG USERS AN THEY GODS USERS LIES

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