Taliban suicide bomber kills six in Helmand as spring offensive begins

A Taliban suicide bomber attacked an army base in southern Helmand Province, Afghanistan, yesterday, killing four civilians and two soldiers.

Omar Zwak, spokesman for the governor in Helmand, said three civilians and two soldiers were also wounded in the attack in Nad Ali District. The Taliban fighter struck the base with a minivan.

Maj Abdul Qadeer Bahadorzai, the army commander’s spokesman in the south, said the death toll could rise. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but on Wednesday, the Taliban announced the start of its annual spring offensive, in which security forces are targeted.

Attaullah Khogyani, the Nangarhar governor’s spokesman, said that in the east of the province, five people were killed and 15 wounded in separate attacks. Three women were among the dead after militants fired mortar shells at a house in Goshta district. Two women and a small child were also wounded in the attack on Friday night.

Meanwhile, two traffic police and 10 civilians were wounded in an explosion in Jalalabad, Nangarhar’s capital, Mr Khogyani said.

“Two wounded civilians are in [a] critical condition,” he said.

The Taliban and ISIS are active in eastern Afghanistan, particularly in this province. On Wednesday, the Taliban aid the “Al-Khandaq” offensive would deploy “new and intricate tactics” aimed at “crushing, killing and capturing American invaders and their supporters”.

The onset of spring and melting snow enables fighters to cross Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain easier, and this brings a rise in violence. But in recent years, the Taliban and an ISIS affiliate have carried out year-round attacks, particularly in Kabul. The Taliban has gained control of districts across the country.

The US formally ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014 but thousands of US troops remain in the country in a counter-terrorism and support role.

US President Donald Trump’s government has sent thousands of extra troops to try to change the course of what is now America’s longest war.