The Hindu : Six peacekeepers killed in suicide attack on Kabul bus

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 08, 2003

International

International

Six peacekeepers killed in suicide attack on Kabul bus

KABUL June 7. A suspected suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying German peacekeepers through Kabul on Saturday, killing at least six soldiers and wounding 16 in the deadliest attack on the international force in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said.

The U.S. military at Bagram Air Base also said in its statement that 28 other people were injured, but it did not identify them, or say where they had been located during the explosion.

The International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, bus was travelling from the airport toward eastern Kabul, and was near the city's customs house when the explosion occurred, Kabul Police Chief, Basir Salangi, said.

``Some foreign people have died and some have been injured,'' Chief Salangi said. He said he believed five or six people had been killed and about 11 wounded.

The brief U.S. statement said initial reports indicated that the suspected suicide bomber had approached the ISAF bus in his vehicle and detonated the explosives.

Gen. Afzal Amon, deputy commander of the Kabul garrison, who was at the scene, said a yellow and white Toyota Carolla taxi was damaged in the blast, and may have been driven by a suicide bomber. ``According to witnesses, at the same time the explosion happened a yellow and white vehicle, probably a taxi, was beside the bus.''

Gen. Amon said he didn't know who could have been responsible for the attack.

Maj. Sarah Wood, an ISAF spokeswoman, confirmed there were casualties in the attack, some of them ISAF, but couldn't provide details.

As she spoke, a large German military helicopter landed in the road near the site of the explosion and not far from the base that houses German and Dutch troops in Afghanistan. The attack occurred at 8:30 a.m. local time on a major road on the east side of Kabul near the Afghan National Army training facility, the U.S. statement said.

Soon after the blast, dozens of German peacekeepers formed a cordon around the street, not allowing any vehicles to pass.

Authorities halted traffic and all pedestrians were stopped about 200 metres away from the scene. Ambulances and other emergency ISAF vehicles roared past. The main road travels east toward Jalalabad from Kabul.

Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene, with bits of metal strewn around after the blast.

``The explosion made a very loud noise. It shook all of our shops,'' said Fawad Ahmad, who works at a tire repair store near the site of the explosion.

The death and injury figures provided by U.S. forces made the suicide attack the deadliest assault on peacekeepers.

— AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

Six peacekeepers killed in suicide attack on Kabul bus

Hamas urged not to torpedo peace

Razali on mission to seek Suu Kyi's release

Pak. to restore air links with India: Kasuri

Japan passes laws to counter armed attack

Pak. to seek extension of sea exclusive zone

'U.S. should stop n-proliferation by allies'

Japan, S. Korea make common cause on n-issue

Criticism of Left causes uproar at Hindi meet

Labour MPs move against 'atrocities' on Dalits

Pope's call for reconciliation

Fresh clashes in Congo

Defence outlay unchanged in Pak. budget

Norwegian peace envoy meets Arroyo