The Star Malaysia

Suicide car bomb kills 30 Afghan security personnel

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GHAZNI (Afghanista­n): A suicide car bomber struck an army base in Afghanista­n killing at least 30 security personnel, officials said, in one of the bloodiest attacks in recent months.

The attack occurred on the outskirts of Ghazni city, capital of the eastern province of Ghazni, which has seen regular fighting between the Taliban and government forces.

It came as the government and Taliban are engaged in peace talks to end the war in the impoverish­ed country that has killed tens of thousands of people in nearly two decades.

“Thirty bodies and 24 wounded people have been brought to hospital. All of them are security personnel,” Baz Mohammad Hemat, director of Ghazni hospital said yesterday.

Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said a suicide bomber had detonated a vehicle full of explosives.

“The bomber drove a Humvee vehicle right inside the base and detonated it,” Ghazni governor spokesman Wahidullah Jumazada said.

No group has so far claimed the attack.

The Ghazni attack comes just

days after two bombs killed 14 people in the historic city of Bamiyan, ending years of calm in the isolated town famous for its ancient Buddhist heritage.

In another suicide car bomb attack yesterday, one civilian was killed and 20 others wounded in the southern city of Qalat in the prov

ince of Zabul, provincial police chief Hekmatulla­h Kochi said.

He said the attack targeted the vehicle of Zabul provincial council chief, Atta Jan Haqbayan, who was wounded.

Yesterday’s bombings marked the latest carnage in Afghanista­n, where violence has surged since the start of peace talks on Sept 12 in the Qatari capital of Doha.

Brutal attacks have killed more than 50 people in Kabul in recent weeks, including two assaults on educationa­l centres and a rocket attack.

The three Kabul attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group, but Afghan officials blamed the Taliban – who denied any involvemen­t.

The Taliban have launched daily attacks targeting Afghan forces despite engaging in the peace talks.

The talks had been bogged down by disputes on the agenda, the basic framework of discussion­s and religious interpreta­tions, but agreement has now been reached on all issues, according to sources close to the talks.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for “expedited discussion­s” during a visit to Doha last week during which he met with both Taliban and Afghan government negotiator­s.

The Pentagon said it would soon pull out some 2,000 troops from Afghanista­n, speeding up the timeline of a full withdrawal by May 2021 as agreed with the Taliban in a deal signed in February. — AFP

 ??  ?? Heightened alert: Afghan National Army soldiers keeping watch outside of a military compound after a car bomb blast killed 30 on the outskirts of Ghazni city, Afghanista­n. — Reuters
Heightened alert: Afghan National Army soldiers keeping watch outside of a military compound after a car bomb blast killed 30 on the outskirts of Ghazni city, Afghanista­n. — Reuters

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