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Taliban suicide truck bomb kills six at Afghanistan police compound Taliban suicide truck bomb kills six at Afghanistan police compound
(about 3 hours later)
Six people have been killed after a Taliban suicide truck bomber struck a police compound in Afghanistan, in the first major insurgent attack since the announcement of leader Mullah Omar’s death. A Taliban suicide truck bomber has killed six people in Afghanistan, in the first major insurgent attack since the announcement of leader Mullah Omar’s death.
The attack in Pul-i-Alam, the capital of the country’s restive Logar province , south of Kabul, highlights growing insecurity as Afghan forces face their first summer fighting season without full Nato support. The blast in Pul-i-Alam, the capital of insurgency-prone Logar province just south of Kabul, highlights growing insecurity that is taking a heavy toll on Afghan civilians and security forces.
The bombing coincides with a faltering peace process, with the Taliban confronted by an increasingly bitter power transition after Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was announced as the new leader last Friday. “A water truck filled with explosives was detonated when it was stopped at the gate of the quick reaction force [police] compound,” said the deputy provincial police chief Mohammad Qari Wara. “It was a powerful explosion which killed three members of the quick reaction force and three civilians.”
Related: Mullah Akhtar Mansoor: Taliban's new leader has a reputation for moderation Related: Taliban officially announce death of Mullah Omar
“A water truck filled with explosives was detonated when it was stopped at the gate of the quick reaction force [police] compound,” said deputy provincial police chief Mohammad Qari Wara. “It was a powerful explosion which killed three members of the quick reaction force and three civilians.”
An official from the provincial governor’s office confirmed the death toll, adding that eight civilians, including a child, had been wounded.An official from the provincial governor’s office confirmed the death toll, adding that eight civilians, including a child, had been wounded.
The force of the explosion damaged government buildings nearby, while the site of the attack was littered with debris and shards of broken glass.The force of the explosion damaged government buildings nearby, while the site of the attack was littered with debris and shards of broken glass.
The Afghan interior ministry said Thursday’s bombing was the first suicide attack since the Taliban confirmed the death of Omar, who led the militant movement for about 20 years. The Afghan interior ministry said the bombing on Thursday was the first suicide attack since the Taliban confirmed the death of Omar, who led the militant movement for about 20 years.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid saying a “Mazda truck packed with heavy explosives … killed more than 100 security personnel”.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid saying a “Mazda truck packed with heavy explosives … killed more than 100 security personnel”.
Taliban insurgents routinely exaggerate the death toll in attacks on Afghan government and military targets. But in a rare admission, Mujahid said “some civilians may have been wounded as a result of broken glass”. The Taliban do not usually claim responsibility for attacks which result in a large number of civilian casualties.Taliban insurgents routinely exaggerate the death toll in attacks on Afghan government and military targets. But in a rare admission, Mujahid said “some civilians may have been wounded as a result of broken glass”. The Taliban do not usually claim responsibility for attacks which result in a large number of civilian casualties.
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit a record high in the first half of 2015, a UN report said on Wednesday, as Afghan forces struggle to contain the expanding conflict six months after the Nato combat mission ended. The bombing coincides with a faltering peace process, with the Taliban confronted by an increasingly bitter power transition after Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was announced as the new leader last Friday.
Related: Taliban officially announce death of Mullah Omar Many of Mansoor’s rivals have been challenging his appointment, exposing the Taliban’s biggest leadership crisis in recent years and one that raises the risk of a factional split.
The report said 1,592 civilians were killed, a 6% fall from last year, but the number of injured rose 4% to 3,329. The casualties have reached their highest level since UN reports began in 2009. Later the same day, at least 17 people – including 12 Afghan army soldiers – were in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, the worst such incident suffered by military forces since the Nato combat mission ended in December.
The statistics indicate rising violence as the Taliban insurgency spreads north from its traditional southern and eastern strongholds, with Afghan forces increasingly battling the militants on their own. The military helicopter went down due to a technical fault in Shinkay, a district relatively free of insurgent activity in the otherwise volatile province of Zabul.
US-led Nato forces ended their mission in Afghanistan in December, but a 13,000-strong force remains for training and counter-terrorism operations. Related: Mullah Akhtar Mansoor: Taliban's new leader has a reputation for moderation
The Taliban face growing internal divisions after Mansoor’s appointment. An acrimonious power struggle has broken out, casting a pall over a fragile peace process aimed at ending Afghanistan’s long war. “Five crew and 12 soldiers were killed when the helicopter crashed in Shinkay district of Zabul province due to technical issues,” a police official said on condition of anonymity.
The Taliban distanced itself from the second round of talks with the Afghan government that were scheduled for last Friday and cancelled after the announcement of Omar’s death. Mohammad Qasim Khan, the Shinkay district chief, confirmed the death toll, with an army commander saying an official delegation had been dispatched to the area to investigate the incident.
Aircraft crashes have been a regular risk for Afghan and foreign coalition forces, with troops relying heavily on air transport to traverse the country’s rugged terrain to fight the Taliban.
On occasion, the insurgents have brought down Nato helicopters – notably a US Chinook in 2011, killing 30 Americans – but such incidents have been rare.
In April last year, five British troops died when their helicopter crashed in Kandahar province in what the UK Ministry of Defence said at the time appeared to be a “tragic accident”.
The fledgling Afghan air force has 83 Mi-17 transport helicopters, of which “a large number are currently under maintenance during the fighting season”, said Graeme Smith, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group in Afghanistan.
“Maintenance is a serious issue for the Afghan air force and it is hurting their ability to provide air support to ground forces,” Smith said.