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Afghanistan Taliban suicide attacks kill dozens | Afghanistan Taliban suicide attacks kill dozens |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Suicide bombers and gunmen have stormed a police training centre in the eastern Afghan city of Gardez, killing at least 41 people. | |
Some 110 civilians and 48 police were injured. The interior ministry said the local police chief was among the dead. | |
The Taliban said it was behind the attack, and is being blamed for a second assault in neighbouring Ghazni province. | |
The violence there left 30 people dead, most of them security personnel. | |
At least 10 others were wounded. | |
Casualty numbers from both attacks could yet rise further. | |
A bloody day for Afghan police | A bloody day for Afghan police |
The violence at the Gardez police headquarters in Paktia province began when a suicide bomber detonated a car filled with explosives, before a number of gunmen launched an assault on the building. | |
Security forces battled the militants for several hours. At least five of the assailants were killed, the interior ministry said in a statement. | Security forces battled the militants for several hours. At least five of the assailants were killed, the interior ministry said in a statement. |
The compound contains the headquarters of the national police, border police and Afghan National Army. | |
The victims included "women, students and police", Gardez public health director Hedayatullah Hamidi told AFP news agency. | The victims included "women, students and police", Gardez public health director Hedayatullah Hamidi told AFP news agency. |
Many were civilians who had gone to the site to get their passports and national IDs, the Paktia governor's office said. | |
The local hospital has called on people to donate blood, saying it is "overwhelmed". | The local hospital has called on people to donate blood, saying it is "overwhelmed". |
University students queued at the medical centre to answer the plea, a photographer at the scene reported. | University students queued at the medical centre to answer the plea, a photographer at the scene reported. |
About 100km (62 miles) away, Ghazni police chief Mohammad Zaman said "dozens of Taliban" had died in the assault there. | About 100km (62 miles) away, Ghazni police chief Mohammad Zaman said "dozens of Taliban" had died in the assault there. |
There is no independent confirmation of the claim. The pattern was similar to the Gardez attack. | |
Armoured Humvee vehicles filled with explosives were detonated near the provincial governor's office, before gunmen moved in. | Armoured Humvee vehicles filled with explosives were detonated near the provincial governor's office, before gunmen moved in. |
The bloodshed comes just days after police in the capital, Kabul, said they had arrested a would-be suicide truck bomber, averting a major incident. | The bloodshed comes just days after police in the capital, Kabul, said they had arrested a would-be suicide truck bomber, averting a major incident. |
The truck was carrying almost three tonnes of explosives and two bombs, which had been hidden under boxes of tomatoes. | The truck was carrying almost three tonnes of explosives and two bombs, which had been hidden under boxes of tomatoes. |
Afghanistan's army and police have suffered heavy casualties this year at the hands of the Taliban, who want to reimpose their strict version of Islamic law in the country. | |
In April, then Defence Minister Abudullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim both resigned after a devastating Taliban assault on an army base outside the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif. | |
About 10 Taliban insurgents dressed in Afghan military uniforms made their way into the base and opened fire. Around 170 Afghan soldiers are believed to have died. | |
The country suffered another bloody assault just a month later in May, when a truck bomb killed more than 150 people in Kabul. |