Afghan increasing militancy claims 2 civilian lives, wounds 16

Afghan increasing militancy claims 2 civilian lives, wounds 16
The increasing militancy once again claimed the life of civilians in the conflict-ridden Afghanistan as an explosion struck northern Kuduz city leaving two civilians dead and wounding 16 others including six children Saturday, police confirmed. "The terrorists planted explosive device on a bicycle and detonated it by remote control at noon time today in Kunduz provincial capital the Kunduz city. As a result two persons were killed and 16 others including six children sustained injuries," police spokesman in the province Syed Sarwar Hussaini told Xinhua, adding all the victims are non-combatants.

Among those killed in the bloody blast is Shir Mohammad Arab, a former Jihadi commander and member of the government-backed High Peace Council, Hussaini further said.

High Peace Council is a government-backed body encouraging Taliban militants to give up militancy and join the administration.

It is the second bomb attack in Afghanistan over the past two days and the third one since Tuesday last.

On Friday, a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque in eastern Kunar province leaving three people including a police chief dead and wounding six others including five civilians.

"A suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest inside a mosque in Ghazi Abad district of Kunar province at about 02:00 p.m. local time (0930 GMT) when people were offering Friday prayer. As a result three people including district police chief Ismael Khan were killed and six others including five civilians injured," provincial police chief, Aiwaz Mohammad Nazari told Xinhua.

It is the second suicide attack targeted sacred places in Afghanistan over the past four days.

In the previous attack that shocked the fortified Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, a suicide bomber targeted mourning ceremony of Shiite Muslims in a shrine on December 6 in Kabul, killing 55 people, all civilians dead and injured 134 others.

Meantime, Afghan Interior Ministry in a statement released here on Saturday blamed the enemies of Afghanistan, a term used against Taliban militants by officials for conducting bicycle bomb in Kunduz and denounced it. Taliban militants fighting Afghan government and are largely relying on suicide and roadside bombings have yet to make comment.

Interior Ministry in the statement also stressed that five people have been arrested in connection with bombing in Kunduz city that left two people dead and injuring 16 others, all non- combatants.

Civilian casualties and security incidents have increased in Afghanistan in 2011, a UN report released last July said. According to the report, 1,462 civilians had been killed from January to June this year, 15 percent increase over the first half of 2010.

Special Report: Afghanistan Situation
Editor: Deng Shasha

English.news.cn   2011-12-10 22:01:51              
By Abdul Haleem

KABUL, Dec. 10 (Xinhua)