Two terror attacks leave 24 dead in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan — Two separate terrorist attacks killed at least 24 people and wounded dozens of others Saturday in Afghanistan, including a powerful explosion that ended a three-week lull in major violence here in the capital.

The first attack occurred Saturday morning in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan, where a suicide bomber approached a tribal Pashtun elder who was walking outdoors. The attack killed the man, who had been leading a local uprising against Taliban insurgents, along with 11 bystanders. Three dozen others were injured.

The second attack occurred Saturday afternoon when an explosion tore through a busy street near the gate of the Defense Ministry headquarters in Kabul. It is believed the attacker targeted a bus carrying Afghan soldiers. Eleven ministry personnel and four civilians were killed in the attack, the Defense Ministry said.

Earlier, an Interior Ministry spokesman had said most of the victims were civilians and only one army officer had been killed.

The Taliban asserted responsibility for the attack, which was the first major bombing in Kabul since Feb.1, when more than a dozen people were killed in a suicide attack at a police recruiting center.

The latest violence, which occurred on an unusually warm winter day here, came as Afghan security forces were preparing for what is expected to be another year of intense fighting. The Taliban traditionally launch their spring offensive in March or April after snow melts from the mountain passes.