MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Aug 26 (NNN-XINHUA) – Six people, including an assailant, were killed and 32 others wounded, after a Taliban militants’ suicide truck bomb blast took place outside a special forces’ camp, in northern Afghanistan’s Balkh province, an army source confirmed.
The incident occurred in Balkh district in central part of Balkh province roughly at 8:45 a.m. local time, and the casualties were shifted to military and civilian hospitals by ambulances and army vehicles, Hanif Rezai, spokesman of army Corps 209 Shaheen, based in the region, said.
Those killed included two army soldiers, three civilians and the attacker, and 26 civilians and six army soldiers wounded.
The blast occurred after soldiers, manning the camp, identified and intercepted the bomber, when approaching the camp, but the attacker detonated the vehicle in front of a veterinary clinic, destroying and damaging dozens of houses.
The Taliban militant group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Since the signing of a Taliban and United States peace agreement in late Feb, Afghan leaders, including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, have frequently demanded the Taliban to reduce violence.
The militants, however, have intensified attacks, launching hit-and-run attacks and ambushes against security forces, besides conducting suicide car bombings and roadside bomb attacks.– NNN-XINHUA
