Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Taliban suicide assault team kills 36 Afghans in western city

Districts of Nimruz.
Districts of Nimruz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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A Taliban suicide assault team fanned out across the western city of Zaranj today, killing 36 Afghans in several attacks before being gunned down by Afghan forces.

A suicide assault team consisting of 11 men armed with assault rifles and wearing suicide vests hit multiple targets in the city, including the governor's compound, at 3:30 p.m. local time. Three of the Taliban fighters detonated their vests; two of them detonated outside of a hospital in the city, and another detonated at a bazaar, according to TOLONews.

"Security forces killed two of the suicide attackers last night and detained three others this morning. Three managed to detonate themselves while three others were gunned down," Mujibullah Latifi, the deputy chief of police for Zaranj told AFP.

Four policemen were among the 36 Afghans killed during the assault, according to TOLONews.
Today's attack occurred three days after a Taliban fighter disguised as an Afghan policeman gunned down 11 police officers in Delaram in Nimroz. Afghan security personnel returned fire and killed him.

The Taliban have conducted several suicide attacks and assaults in Nimroz and neighboring Farah province in western Afghanistan over the past three years. In May, a suicide assault team attacked the governor's compound in Farah. Six policemen, a civilian, and four members of the suicide assault team were killed during the attack.

In April, a suicide bomber detonated a cart packed with explosives, killing a US Marine and wounding others in Zaranj. The Taliban then opened fire on the US and Afghan troops from nearby buildings.

In March, a large Taliban force ambushed an Afghan supply column in the Gulistan district of Farah province. Thirty Taliban fighters and seven security guards were killed during the clash.

In May 2010, a suicide assault team hit the government center and other sites in Zaranj. Suicide bombers fanned out and hit the governor's compound, the justice department, and the courthouse.

Three civilians and eight members of the assault team were killed.

And in November 2009, a suicide bomber driving a motorcycle detonated his explosives in a market in Farah City, killing 17 people and wounding 29.

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