by Abdul Haleem
KABUL, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing conflicts and
Taliban-linked insurgency in Afghanistan often add to the suffering of poor
Afghans and harm non-combatants as the latest suicide bombing in Afghan capital
once again wounded four civilians on Sunday.
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Afghan security officials inspect the
bomb attack site in Kabul, Afghanistan, Feb. 1, 2009. A suicide attack on
foreign forces convoy left four people injured in the southern outskirts
of the Afghan capital on Sunday morning.(Xinhua/Zabi Tamanna)
Photo Gallery>>> |
In the latest wave of violence, a suicide bomber
riding an explosive-laden car blew himself up next to a convoy of NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Company village at 5th
precinct, injuring four passersby.
"One suicide bomber driving a car blew himself up
near a convoy of international troops in the western outskirts of Kabul city
injuring at least four," a police officer at the site of incident told Xinhua,
but he refused to be named.
There were no casualties on foreign troops, he said.
This was the second suicide car blast in the capital
city of Kabul since the beginning of 2009. The previous attack targeting German
embassy outside the compound in mid January left four people, including one U.S.
soldier and three civilians, dead and 22 others including five U.S. servicemen
and 17 civilians injured.
Moreover, two more suicide car bombing and blasts
left over a dozen people, mostly civilians, dead and injured in the volatile
southern Kandahar and Zabul provinces in January.
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Afghan security officials inspect the
bomb attack site in Kabul, Afghanistan, Feb. 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Zabi
Tamanna)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
Taliban fighters have claimed responsibility for the
above attacks, saying they have inflicted casualties on the troops.
In their new tactics, such as the deadly suicide
attacks and roadside bombings, the militants have challenged both the Afghan
government troops and international troops as such attacks often claim the lives
of civilians rather than the military, army officers said.
"The biggest challenge laying ahead us is the
civilian casualties as harming civilians discredits both the Afghan government
and the international troops," Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi
said last weekend at a press conference attended by NATO and the U.S. military.
A few days earlier, Azimi also predicted more
violence in 2009 than in 2008, saying "We predict 2009 would be a tough year in
terms of conflict. We do not expect to have less violence this year than in
2008."
However, the Defense Ministry was optimistic that the
security forces would have more achievements and more successes against
Taliban-led insurgents with the reinforcement of 30,000-strong U.S. troops in
the current year.
"We would be in a better position in 2009 as the
strength of Afghanistan National Army (ANA) would increase from 80,000 in 2008to
over 100,000 this year and the alliance would also send additional troops,"
Azimi said.
Over 5,000 people, with some 2,000 of them civilians,
had been killed in conflicts in 2008, while observers foresee more violence this
year.
To overcome the challenges and to stabilize security,
the Pentagon announced late last month to send in additional 30,000 troops to
the militancy-plagued Afghanistan and their deployment would begin this year.
The hard-die Taliban fighters also say that deploying
more troops would enable them to further hunt soldiers and inflict more
casualties.
Suicide bombing hits Afghan capital, wounds
4
KABUL, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Militants fighting Afghan
government and international troops based in Afghanistan in their latest wave of
violence carried out a suicide car bombing in the capital city of Kabul Sunday
morning, wounding four persons, a police officer with Crime Investigation
Department said.
"One suicide bomber in a car blew himself up near a convoy
of international troops in the western outskirts of Kabul city, injuring at
least four," the officer told Xinhua but refused to be named. Full story
