Thursday, December 18, 2014

Bomb kills two US soldiers in Afghanistan

Kabul - According to Interior Ministry spokesperson Sediq Sediqqi the vehicle being driven by the two soldiers was hit by the bomb. The international military coalition (ISAF) provided less detail saying only that two of its members had been killed.
Seddiqi said: "It was a magnetic bomb. It was either attached to the vehicle belonging to the foreigners or it was planted and detonated remotely." Another source said at least three civilians had also been killed in the attack Fox News reported a spate of attacks in which at least 19 Afghans were killed along with the two American soldiers. The Washington Post says that the attack that killed the two Americans was on an ISAF convoy north of Kabul, near the Bagram military base. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahi claimed that they were responsible for the attack.

 Another attack on Saturday morning killed 12 Afghan civilians while they were clearing mines in Helmand province, according to Omar Zwak, a spokesperson for the provincial governor. The Taliban said they were responsible for that attack but claim that the targets were not civilians but were actually soldiers. Three militants were killed as well and four arrested according to authorities. The attack was near the former UK base Camp Bastion.

  Another attack Saturday morning by unknown gunmen killed Atiquallah Raufi, head of the Afghan Supreme Court secretariat, according to a spokesperson for the Kabul chief of police. In the afternoon a suicide bomber in Kabul targeted an army bus killing six members of the army and wounding 18 other people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack as well.

 At the end of this year the US combat role in Afghanistan is set to end and most troops withdrawn. However, nearly 11,000 troops are to remain to train, advise, and assist in Afghan missions. They will also have a limited combat role in counter terrorist missions. In 2016 the number of US forces is scheduled to drop to 5,500. However, there is a partnership agreement that lasts until at least 2024 in which the US makes pledges to support Afghanistan in a number of ways. Recently Afghanistan and the US also signed a bilateral security agreement that former president Karzai refused to sign.

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