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Afghan bombing: Three US troops among 21 dead in Khost | |
(about 6 hours later) | |
A suicide bomber has killed 21 people, including three US soldiers and a local interpreter, in the eastern Afghan city of Khost, officials say. | |
The attacker drove a motorcycle laden with explosives, apparently targeting a joint Nato-Afghan military checkpoint set up in a crowded bazaar. | The attacker drove a motorcycle laden with explosives, apparently targeting a joint Nato-Afghan military checkpoint set up in a crowded bazaar. |
At least 15 of the dead were civilians and two were police. Another 35 people were wounded, officials said. | |
In southern Logar province, a roadside bomb killed at least six civilians. | In southern Logar province, a roadside bomb killed at least six civilians. |
Provincial spokesman Din Mohammad Darwesh said that a tractor pulling a wagon full of people was hit by the explosives on a road outside the Logar provincial capital, Puli Alam. | Provincial spokesman Din Mohammad Darwesh said that a tractor pulling a wagon full of people was hit by the explosives on a road outside the Logar provincial capital, Puli Alam. |
String of attacks | String of attacks |
The attack in Khost city came just before lunchtime. There were many children around at the time, the BBC's Quentin Somerville in Kabul reports. | The attack in Khost city came just before lunchtime. There were many children around at the time, the BBC's Quentin Somerville in Kabul reports. |
The head of one hospital told the AFP news agency that he had received the bodies of four members of one family at his hospital. | |
The US embassy said the attack demonstrated that the Taliban and other insurgents were "indiscriminately continuing their murderous campaign against all, including women and children". | |
The statement said the US would "continue to work with the Afghan people and government for a stable, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan that no longer suffers from terrorist acts". | The statement said the US would "continue to work with the Afghan people and government for a stable, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan that no longer suffers from terrorist acts". |
On Tuesday, US troops were wounded in an attack on a Nato base in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan and, the day before, an American was killed by gunmen wearing Afghan police uniforms in Kandahar city. | |
Wednesday's attack was the second time this month that a suicide attacker targeted Nato troops in Khost, which is close to the border with Pakistan and hosts mainly US forces. | |
On 1 June, a suicide bomber drove a lorry packed with explosives into a Nato security post. | On 1 June, a suicide bomber drove a lorry packed with explosives into a Nato security post. |
South-east Afghanistan's border provinces are a base for the al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani group, which frequently targets US and Afghan troops using suicide bombers. | South-east Afghanistan's border provinces are a base for the al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani group, which frequently targets US and Afghan troops using suicide bombers. |
The group has also been behind a string of bomb attacks in the capital, Kabul. | The group has also been behind a string of bomb attacks in the capital, Kabul. |
Our correspondent says Haqqani militants are thought most likely to have been behind both recent attacks in Khost. | Our correspondent says Haqqani militants are thought most likely to have been behind both recent attacks in Khost. |