Afghanistan — ISAF, Karzai Condemn Kabul Suicide Attack

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2011 — Inter­na­tion­al Secu­ri­ty Assis­tance Force offi­cials joined Afghan Pres­i­dent Hamid Karzai in con­demn­ing a sui­cide-bomb attack that killed sev­er­al civil­ians in the country’s cap­i­tal of Kab­ul, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.

Reports indi­cate that a sui­cide bomber det­o­nat­ed an explo­sive inside a gro­cery store near the cen­ter of the city. At least nine Afghan and inter­na­tion­al civil­ians were killed, and at least six more were wound­ed, accord­ing to news reports. 

“We join Pres­i­dent Karzai in con­demn­ing this despi­ca­ble attack and its com­plete dis­re­gard for human life,” ISAF spokesman Navy Rear Adm. Vic Beck said. “This attack inten­tion­al­ly tar­get­ed civil­ians as the det­o­na­tion occurred in a pub­lic loca­tion where inno­cent men, women and chil­dren were like­ly to gath­er. We extend our deep­est con­do­lences to those fam­i­lies who have lost loved ones, and we pray for a quick recov­ery for those injured in this sense­less attack.” 

In oper­a­tions yesterday: 

— Noorani Sahib, a Tal­iban leader respon­si­ble for road­side-bomb and direct-fire attacks, kid­nap­pings and assas­si­na­tions in Zab­ul province’s Tarnek wa Jal­dak dis­trict, was killed dur­ing coali­tion operations. 

— Afghan and coali­tion forces detained sev­er­al sus­pect­ed insur­gents while tar­get­ing a Haqqani ter­ror­ist net­work facil­i­ta­tor in Khost province’s Nadir Shah Kot dis­trict. The secu­ri­ty force recov­ered a shot­gun, rock­et-pro­pelled grenade launch­er parts, ammu­ni­tion and 300 pounds of bomb-mak­ing mate­ri­als at the scene. 

— Coali­tion forces killed two insur­gents in Hel­mand province’s Musa Qalah district. 

— Afghan and coali­tion forces in Lagh­man, Uruz­gan, Hel­mand, Kan­da­har and Her­at provinces found 200 anti-per­son­nel mines, sev­en rock­et-pro­pelled grenade war­heads, 21 mor­tar fus­es, a rock­et boost­er, 900 7.62 mm rounds, 1,800 .303-cal­iber rounds, four pres­sure plates and six clus­ter bombs. 

In ear­li­er operations: 

— Afghan and coali­tion forces killed an insur­gent and detained three oth­ers Jan. 26 dur­ing a patrol seek­ing to break up a bomb­ing cell that oper­ates in Uruz­gan and north­ern Kan­da­har provinces. Act­ing on mul­ti­ple intel­li­gence reports, the patrol moved to a com­pound where they were engaged by heavy small-arms fire and a rock­et-pro­pelled grenade. The patrol was unable to return fire and called in coali­tion air sup­port, which fired on the insurgents. 

— In Nim­roz province’s Khash Rod dis­trict Jan. 25, Afghan and coali­tion forces detained a Tal­iban leader who sup­plied weapons and explo­sives to the insurgency. 

— Secu­ri­ty forces in Kan­da­har province detained a Tal­iban leader Jan. 23. He was respon­si­ble for plan­ning and exe­cut­ing attacks against coali­tion forces and was asso­ci­at­ed with oth­er Tal­iban lead­ers in the province. 

— On Jan. 22, Afghan police, sup­port­ed by coali­tion troops, cleared an area of Hel­mand province of insur­gents, killing at least five hard-line fight­ers based there. 

Source:
Com­piled from Inter­na­tion­al Secu­ri­ty Assis­tance Force Joint Com­mand News Releases 

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