Attacks in Afghanistan claim 17 lives
KABUL, Afghanistan — A wave of attacks across Afghanistan on Tuesday left at least 17 people dead and scores more wounded, officials said, including a Taliban truck bombing in the country’s north that targeted a commando base for Afghan forces.
The violence takes place as expectations had been rising that negotiations could soon get underway between the Afghan government and the insurgents as part of a February agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban.
The truck suicide bomber struck in northern Balkh province, killing three people, including two Afghan commandos and a civilian, according to Munir Ahmad Farhad, the spokesman for the provincial governor.
According to Hanif Rezaie, the spokesman for the Afghan army corps in the north, initial military report said at least six commandos and around 35 civilians were wounded in that explosion, which also destroyed or damaged dozens of nearby civilians houses.
“Most of the wounded civilians are women and children,” said Rezaie.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the Balkh attack in a tweet.
In a separate attack in Balkh, gunmen shot dead five people, including former warlord Abdul Raouf, two of his sons ages 10 and 11 and two other men in a vehicle in the Charkent district, said Adil Shah Adil, spokesman for the provincial police chief.
Also on Tuesday, an attack on a checkpoint of pro-government forces in western Ghor province killed eight troops and wounded five, said Arif Aber, spokesman for the provincial governor. The attack in Shahrak district set off five hours of fighting.