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| Afghanistan |
| Kandahar Blast Kills Four Afghan Civilians |
| 2010-04-12 |
| [Quqnoos] A home-made bomb hit a bus carrying a mine clearance team in Kandahar province on Sunday, killing four people and injuring 14 others The improvised explosive device -- the Taliban and other militants' weapon of choice against foreign forces and government targets -- detonated as they drove on a dirt road near Daman district. "The de-miners were travelling in a minibus. There was a remote-controlled bomb on the road. They struck the bomb," Daman district governor Sarajuddin Khan told AFP. The US military has said the increasingly sophisticated devices killed 322 coalition soldiers and wounded 1,813 in 2009 -- double the number in the previous 12 months. The UN has said that most civilian deaths -- 2,412 last year -- were caused by Taliban bombs and suicide attacks. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 NPR had a bit about Glenmore's story, unless there was another bus shooting yesterday. It seems the bus came speeding up to the convoy from behind. The driver refused to slow down despite shouts and warning shots from the Americans. There was no place to go around, as there were ravines or something on either side of the road... so in self-defence the Americans did what they had to in order to stop the bus before it plowed into them (that last bit was unmentioned by the NPR reporter). I apologize because I can't find the story on the NPR website, but I heard it on the radio about noon. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-04-12 14:31 |
| #2 An AP article out there about a different 4 Afghan civilians also killed - their bus was pulled off waiting for an American convoy to pass when all of a sudden, for no reason, as the 3rd or 4th vehicle passed shooting broke out and raked the bus. "Within hours, scores of Afghans had blocked the main highway out of Kandahar city with burning tires, chanting "Death to America," and calling for the downfall of Afghan President Hamid Karzai." Given our ROE and fire discipline, this story smells like either Taliban opened fire from (or from behind) the bus in order to induce return fire, or actually shot up the bus themselves. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-04-12 07:46 |
| #1 Mine clearers? Were they clearing old Soviet mines? |
| Posted by: American Delight 2010-04-12 06:40 |