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Afghanistan suicide bombing kills 8 American civilians
Washington - Eight American civilians were killed today when a lone suicide bomber struck a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan, U.S. officials said. The attack, which took place at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khowst province, also injured an undisclosed number of civilians, the officials said. No military personnel from U.S. or North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces were killed or injured in the attack, they said.Officials declined further immediate comment today, saying many details of the attack remained unclear and that relatives had not yet been notified. Asked by Reuters news service if the blast occurred inside the base, one official said: "That's my understanding." Khowst province, which is located on the Pakistani border, has been a prime target of attacks from militants operating in eastern Afghanistan and just across the border in the tribal areas of Pakistan. The base is part of NATO's Regional Command East, which is supervised by the U.S. military. It also houses Western civilians working on reconstruction projects in the war-torn nation. The main U.S. base in the province, known as Camp Salerno, has been the target of frequent attacks. Suicide bombers on a number of occasions have blown themselves up just outside its gates while trying to penetrate the heavily fortified installation. Afghan civilians usually bear the brunt of such attacks. Just last week, Taliban militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and suicide vests entered a building near a police station in the nearby city of Gardez, setting off a battle with U.S. and Afghan security forces that lasted all morning. Posted by: Steve White 2009-12-31 |
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