Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

4 NATO Soldiers, 2 Afghan Policemen, 10 Civilians Killed in Taliban Suicide Attack, 400 Oil Tankers Torched by Taliban in Kabul outskirts

July 8, 2014

Afghan Suicide Attack Kills 16, Including Four NATO Soldiers

Agence France-Presse | Updated: July 08, 2014 15:04 IST

Kabul, Afghanistan: 

A Taliban suicide bomber killed 16 people, including 10 civilians and four NATO soldiers, in an attack in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said, as foreign troops wind down their war against the insurgents.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying one of its suicide bombers had blown himself up near a NATO patrol in the province of Parwan, north of the capital Kabul.

The attack comes as Afghanistan is mired in political crisis, with a bitter row raging over allegations of fraud in the presidential runoff election.

"Four International Security Assistance Force service members died as a result of an enemy forces attack," a statement from the NATO mission said.

In line with coalition policy, it did not name the nationalities of the victims.

Parwan governor spokesman Waheed Sediqqi told AFP that ten civilians and two policemen were killed in the attack.

The insurgents said 15 US special forces soldiers were killed. They routinely make exaggerated claims after such attacks.

About 50,000 NATO troops are still deployed in Afghanistan, down from a peak of 150,000 in 2011.

NATO's combat mission will wrap up at the end of this year, with 10,000 US troops staying into next year if the new president signs a security deal with Washington.

About 3,450 coalition troops have been killed in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001 when the Taliban regime was ousted from power.

US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Tuesday that any attempt to seize power in the election crisis would cost the country its international aid.

Initial results released on Monday showed former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani had won the election, but a spokesman for his poll rival Abdullah Abdullah rejected the outcome as "a coup against the will of the people".

Fraud allegations immediately stoked concerns of instability after the figures showed Ghani collected 56.4 per cent of the run-off vote against ex-foreign minister Abdullah's 43.5 per cent.

 

Taliban Suicide Attack in Central Afghanistan Kills 16
Four Czech Soldiers Serving With U.S.-Led Force Said to Be Among the Victims

WSJ, Tuesday, July 8, 2014

KABUL—

The Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack Tuesday in central Afghanistan that claimed the lives of 10 civilians, four coalition service members and two Afghan police officers, local and military officials said.

Parwan provincial governor spokesman Waheed Sediqi said a suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up Tuesday morning in front of a clinic in the Qalandarkhil area of Bagram district, north of Kabul.

The attack, he said, killed four Czech soldiers serving with the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force, in addition to killing two policemen and 10 civilians. Eight civilians were wounded, he added.

A coalition spokesman confirmed the four troop deaths, but didn't give the service members' nationality. The military typically doesn't release the names and nationalities of slain service members until their families are notified.

Qalandarkhil is in the vicinity of Bagram Airfield, a major coalition military base north of the capital.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the attack, carried out by a man named Abdullah Ghaznavi, had targeted U.S. Special Operations Forces. The suicide bombing, he said, was preceded by a rocket attack on Bagram Airfield that inflicted "financial losses" on the coalition.

The Taliban frequently make inflated claims about their attacks.

— Habib Khan Totakhil contributed to this article.

Write to Nathan Hodge at nathan.hodge@wsj.com

 

Over 400 oil tankers torched by Taliban in Kabul outskirts

Pakistan Observer, Sunday, July 06, 2014 -

Kabul—

Attackers set fire to hundreds of fuel tanker trucks in a parking lot on the outskirts of the Afghan capital, witnesses said Saturday, prompting angry drivers to block a major highway to demand reimbursement for their losses.

Hundreds of other drivers stood by helplessly on Saturday morning, unable to salvage any property as flames and smoke rose from the area and several fire engines rushed to the site.

The Taleban claimed responsibility for the attack. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the militants were targeting fuel tankers belonging to NATO forces.

“We couldn’t tell if the attackers were Taleban or other people,” one of the drivers, 35-year-old Juma Gul said. “They were dressed in uniforms we couldn’t understand what was happening. They were shooting toward the drivers and they were setting the tankers on fire. The gunmen were targeting any of the drivers who wanted to return to their trucks.”

Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said about 400 trucks caught fire late Friday and continued to burn through Saturday morning, but he did not confirm the cause or provide other details. The Interior Ministry said it has set up a team to investigate the incident.

Truck drivers later blocked the main highway between Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar to protest what they said was a slow response by the government and to demand reimbursement for their losses.—AP

The fire triggered by a bomb set ablaze tankers waiting to enter the city in a parking lot west of the Afghan capital overnight.

“At around 10:30 pm last night, hundreds of fuel tankers belonging to private companies caught fire,” Hashmat Stanikzai, Kabul police spokesman told AFP. “No one can come close to them since the fire is still raging at the scene,” Stanikzai said.

No casualties were reported as fire fighters tried to control the fire in the morning, he added.

“I was sleeping in my truck, when I heard three big bangs. After that I saw the fuel trucks exploding one after the other. I fled the area immediately,” Janat Gul, a truck driver told AFP.

“Taliban militants who have been regularly attacking western supply convoys in Afghanistan, claimed the responsibility. —Agencies