Twin suicide attacks kill 6
0 
|
|
|
An Afghan National Army soldier (C) and U.S. soldiers investigate the site of a blast in Laghman province, November 20, 2010. Two suicide bombers on bicycles killed six people and wounded 33 in Afghanistan's eastern Laghman province on Saturday, provincial officials said. [Xinhua/Reuters] |
Two suicide bombings rocked Afghanistan's eastern Laghman province, claiming the lives of six people including two attackers and wounding 33 others in a single day on Saturday, officials confirmed.
In the first attack carried out in the shape of bicycle bombing, according to a statement released by the Interior Ministry here, three civilians were killed and 25 others sustained injuries.
"A suicide bomber riding a bicycle blew himself up in front of the provincial public health department in the provincial capital Mehterlam city this morning killing three people including a woman and a child and injuring 25 others, all civilians," a governmental statement said.
In the second attack, happened in a span of 15 minutes, a suicide bomber strapped explosive device in his body detonated himself, killing one civilian and wounding eight others, the statement further said.
Both the suicide bombers were also killed in the blasts, it confirmed.
Meantime, a Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media via telephone from undisclosed locations claimed of responsibility, saying seven security personnel had been killed and two vehicles were destroyed in the blasts, a claim rejected by officials as baseless.
Local officials have insisted that all the victims were innocent civilians.
Saturday's bloody attacks took place just one day after finishing the three-day public holiday of the Eidul Adha, the biggest annual religious festival which started Tuesday and the weekly holiday Friday.
Taliban elusive chief Mullah Mohammad Omar in a statement emailed to media on the eve of Eidul Adha Monday vowed to intensify war against Afghan and the NATO-led forces based in Afghanistan.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai who is attending the NATO summit in Lisbon in a statement released here to media blamed the enemies of Afghanistan and the enemies of Islam for the deadly double suicide attacks and strongly condemned them.
"The enemies of Afghanistan and the enemies of Islam who do not want Afghans to live in peace are behind such terrorist attacks," the statement released by his office here emphasized.
The president has also instructed authorities in Laghman province to identify and bring to justice those behind organizing such heinous crime and terrorist attacks against the people.
