Showing posts with label suicide-bombers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suicide-bombers. Show all posts

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Kabul Truck Bombing Aftermath

The devastating truck bomb on the outskirts of the 'Green Zone' in the diplomatic area of Kabul on Wednesday, May 31, 2017 is still having far-reaching effects. The sewage truck loaded with about 1,500 kgs of explosives killed more than 150 people and wounded more than 300. Afghan intelligence sources say that the explosives came from Pakistan. Many of the killed and wounded were employees of the Roshan telecommunications company. There have been street demonstrations against the Afghan government and subsequent terrorist bombings at funerals of those who died in the truck bombing. The government is in crisis mode with calls for the removal of key security officials by various political parties. Some observers fear that ethnic politics is agitating the fragile security situation and that opportunistic political leaders are using the tragic event to advance their personal positions.

June 6, 2017. "Ghani Says More Than 150 Killed in Kabul Truck Bombing on May 31", Gandhara.


Sunday, November 20, 2016

Update on Nov 12th Suicide Bomber Attack at BAF on Veterans Day

BAF Suicide Bombing Update. The Resolute Support Headquarters has released a news report providing an update on the suicide bomber attack that took place on Veterans Day. The bomber caused four deaths and 17 casualties. Five of the casualties have been returned to duty; 12 are now at the Landstuhl medical facility in Germany receiving advanced treatment. One news report (Gandhara Blog / Radio Free Europe, Nov 14, 2016) is reporting that Afghan officials say the suicide bomber was an ex-Taliban who joined the peace process in 2008 and then got a job as a local worker at the Bagram Air Base (BAF). According to Taliban statements the worker had been planning his attack on the base for the past four months.

U.S. Embassy Closed for One Day. A day after the suicide bombing at Bagram Air Field the U.S. Embassy in Kabul shut down for one day as a "temporary precautionary measure".  Read more in a news report by USA Today, November 13, 2016.


Sunday, November 13, 2016

Suicide Bomber Kills 4 at Bagram Air Base

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for a suicide bomber attack on Saturday, November 12th, at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan that killed 4 and wounded many others. The insurgent dressed as a laborer and gained entry to the air base. Two U.S. service members and two U.S. contractors were killed. At least 17 U.S. service members and one Polish soldier were wounded in the attack.

Read more:

"Afghanistan suicide bomb kills at least four at Bagram airbase", The Guardian, November 12, 2016.
"4 Killed in Bagram Airfield Explosion", DoD News Release, November 12, 2016.



Sunday, January 3, 2016

Female Suicide Bombers

In early December 2015 a woman in Afghanistan blew herself up after being stopped at a checkpoint in eastern Nangarhar province. She killed her three children and a member of the ANDSF. The number of women involved in suicide bombings has increased across the globe in places like Afghanistan, Africa, Iraq, and Syria. Kathleen Turner, a LTC in the U.S. Army currently serving as an Army War College Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, examines this vital issue in "Femme Fatale: The Rise of Female Suicide Bombers", War on the Rocks, December 14, 2015.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Khowst and CIA - 5 Years Later

"Five years ago, on a cold, gloomy December afternoon in the mountainous region of Khowst Province in southeastern Afghanistan, an al-Qa'ida terrorist detonated a bomb strapped to his chest and killed seven CIA officers and injured six others; one of the deadliest attacks ever conducted against Agency personnel. The suicide bomber had been recruited as a CIA informant and taken to Afghanistan to infiltrate the upper ranks of al-Qa'ida. For months, he provided the Agency with independently verifiable intelligence on the terrorist network, and he promised to lead the CIA to the group's most senior members. Instead, the asset was an al-Qa'ida double agent"

Read the rest of this story published by the CIA in "Khowst - 5 Years Later", CIA News & Information, December 2014.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

ANA Bus Struck by Suicide Bomber on Sat

Another ANA Bus (they are soft targets) was struck by a Taliban suicide bomber on Saturday afternoon (Dec 13, 2014) killing at least six Soldiers and wounding many more. Many civilians were injured in the bombing which took place in a very populated area of Kabul. Read more in "Afghan official: suicide bomber kills 6 soldiers", Yahoo! News, December 13, 2014.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Kabul's Dangerous Road

The Kabul - Jalalabad Road is known as the 'Valley of Death' - the most dangerous of roads to travel on. In the past few months the Taliban have stepped up their attacks in the Kabul area - ignoring the traditional end of the fighting season. Sudarsan Raghavan, writing for The Washington Post (Dec 7, 2014) tells us more - "In Kabul's Valley of Death, hints of Afghanistan's security woes".

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Suicide Bomber Attacks Funeral in Baghlan

A suicide bomber attacked a funeral in Baghlan province killing two police officers and a number of civilians (7?). The incident took place in Burqa district on December 1st. At least 18 people were wounded in the attack. The attack occurred during a funeral ceremony for a Baghlan tribal leader; Read more in "Suicide Attack at Afghan Funeral Kills Nine", Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, December 1, 2014.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Kabul Under Attack

The Taliban have forgotten that the fighting season is over. By this time of year they should be looking at making their way to the sanctuaries provided by Pakistan. Instead they seem to be hanging around the Kabul area and increasing the rate of attacks in Kabul. The number of attacks in Kabul in 2014 is double the number of attacks in 2013. The phrase "Kabubble" used to mean safety and security for the many foreign military and expats working in Kabul. But now it appears those days are over. Read more in "Afghanistan's heavily guarded capital no longer immune from violence", Stars and Stripes, November 28, 2014.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

More on Suicide Bombing in Paktika Province

The tragic suicide bombing of the volleyball tournament in Yahya Khel district, Paktika province killed over 61 people. In addition, the Afghan government is taking some heat from members of the district for not providing enough security to the district. Threats were made by villagers to support the Taliban to Abdullah Abdullah, the country's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) when he visited the district to meet with villagers to offer condolences. The district had formed a unit of the Afghan Local Police three years ago and pushed the Taliban from the district. The suicide bombing was seen as retaliation against the district population for supporting the ALP and staging a local uprising against the Taliban;. Several members of the ALP were killed in the attack. Read more in "As Bombing Toll Rises, Afghan Villagers Direct Anger at Government", The New York Times, November 24, 2014.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Suicide Bomber Kills 50 in Paktika

A suicide bomber killed over 50 people and wounded many more during a volleyball tournament in Yahyakhail district, Paktika province. News article by The New York Times, November 23, 2014.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Suicide Bomber Attacks Women's Rights Leader

A suicide bomber attacked the car of a prominent Afghan women's rights leader and member of Parliament on Sunday (Nov 16, 2014). Three people were killed and 20 others wounded. The presumed target was Shukria Barakzai - she was wounded in the attack. She is an outspoken critic and has been quoted with this remark - "Our Parliament is a collection of lords. Warlords, drug lords, crime lords". Read more in "Suicide Bomber Attacks Car of Afghan Women's Rights Leader; 3 Killed", The New York Times, November 16, 2014.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Bombing Attacks Continue in Kabul

The insurgent groups are continuing their bombing campaign in Kabul. Despite heavy security provided by the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) insurgents are still attacking important targets. On Sunday an attack against the heavily fortified police headquarters killed a senior police official in one of three bombing incidents in Kabul that took place that day. The ANP officer killed was the chief of staff for the Kabul police. The bomber is said to have passed numerous checkpoints before detonating. Read more in "Explosions rock Afghan capital killing senior police official", The Washington Post, November 9, 2014.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Suicide Bombings Continue in Afghanistan

The suicide bombers continue to attack both the Afghan National Security Forces and NATO targets as well. Read more in "Suicide Bombers Kill 3 in Afghanistan", The New York Times, October 13, 2014.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Remarks on Taverna du Liban by Expat

An expat who teaches school in Kabul provides us his insight on the effect the bombing of the Taverna du Liban restaurant (January 2014) will have on the expat community. Read "No derailing progress now", Relentlessly Alive, February 8, 2014.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Expat Recalls La Taverna Restaurant in Kabul

A former member of the expat community in Kabul recalls with fond memories the recently bombed restaurant in Kabul - La Taverna du Liban. Her recollection is of a safe place with good food that allowed expats to get away from the war. Read "Afghan bombing stirs memories", Sedalia Democrat, January 24, 2014.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

More Suicide Bombing Attacks Expected

ISAF reports that more insurgent suicide bombing attacks are expected against soft targets. The insurgents hope that media attention generated by high-profile, spectacular attacks in Afghanistan will generate uncertainty about the future and an atmosphere of fear. There is the expectation that attacks like the recent January 2014 attack at a Kabul restaurant will continue to take place. Read more in "U.S. Commander: 'High-Profile, Spectacular' Attacks in Afghanistan Likely to Increase", U.S. News and World Report, January 23, 2014.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Kabul Nightlife - A (sometimes dangerous) World of Its Own

The average U.S. Soldier or Marine deployed to Afghanistan at the small Combat Outposts (COPs) and larger Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) would be very surprised at how some of the expats (foreigners) work and live in Kabul - the capital of Afghanistan. Living on a large military FOB is not a pleasant experience. The large bases are dreary - built of concrete walls, wooden B-huts that cram occupants into (not-so-private) small living spaces, and usually crowded offices and work areas. The large FOBs are always noisy with fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft coming and going at all hours of the day. The scenery is rather unexciting unless you are fortunate enough to be on a base near some of the spectacular mountains found in Afghanistan. Living on a Combat Outpost (COP) is even more austere - the food generally is not that good and there are usually inadequate shower and toilet facilities. Mail comes late and there is not a paved road in sight - only crushed gravel (small rocks really) to walk around on.

Contrast the life of the Soldier on a FOB or COP and you would be quite surprised. There is a different life in Kabul - a relatively safe place despite the periodic made-for-media attacks that the insurgents mount from time to time. Recently the life style of expats (associated with international or non-governmental organizations) who live and work in Kabul came to light with the tragic bombing of the Taverna du Liban restaurant in Kabul. For more on this read "The Slaughter of Foreigners in a Restaurant in Kabul Exposes Dangers of Nightlife in a Warzone", The World Post (Huffington Post), January 21, 2014.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Expats Concerned about Life in Kabul

The recent bombing of the Taverna du Liban restaurant in Kabul that killed 13 expats and 8 Afghans has put the international community into a state of heightened security. Most Kabul restaurants are now off limits and non-essential travel is being curbed. How long these security restrictions will stay in place remains to be seen. At the very least the restaurant attack may encourage some foreigners working on contracts supporting the war effort and with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to leave. The restrictions on non-essential travel will hurt the effectiveness of the different organizations employing the expats as meetings about town will decrease - or take place behind the concrete barriers that protect Coalition compounds against bomb blasts. The foreigners will be less likely to travel to meet with Afghan counterparts, supervise projects, and keep an eye on how the money is used that is donated by the international community. Read more in "At a popular Kabul restaurant, the front lines of Afghanistan's war", Reuters, January 21, 2014.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Heavy Toll in Afghan Restaurant Suicide Bombing

The recent suicide bombing in the Afghan restaurant has taken a heavy toll among the foreign national community. The total deaths are approximately 21 persons - about eight Afghans and 13 foreigners. The restaurant, La Taverna du Liban, was located in what is thought to be a relatively secure zone in Kabul.

A member of the IMF, three United Nations staff members, a Danish women who was a member of the European Police Mission in Afghanistan. The nationalities include two Americans, two Britons, two Canadians, two Lebanese, a Russian, a Dane, a Somali-American, and a Pakistani. The attack was conducted by three attackers - one suicide bomber and two gunmen - all killed during the attack.

Read more www.afghanwarnews.info/events/kabul-restaurant-bombing-jan-2014.htm