A squad of suicide bombers killed at least 22 people during a raid on a governor's compound in a province near Afghanistan's capital on Sunday, the latest attack targeting top Afghan officials as militants work to undermine President Hamid Karzai's fragile government.
The attack, carried out by six militants who stormed the walled headquarters of Parwan provincial Gov. Abdul Basir Salangi, is likely to deepen concerns about the readiness of Afghan soldiers and police as they take over security responsibilities from U.S. troops in certain areas. Taliban militants waging a 10-year war against U.S., NATO and Afghan forces claimed responsibility for the attack.
The late-morning raid took place in Charikar, about 30 miles north of Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. It began with a suicide car bomber detonating his explosives-filled vehicle at the compound's main gate, said Sediq Sediqi, a spokesman for the country's Interior Ministry. Five heavily armed militants wearing suicide bomb vests then stormed the compound and exchanged gunfire with Afghan security forces inside.
Two of the militants detonated their explosives-filled vests inside the compound, while the other three were shot and killed by Afghan security forces, Sediqi said. At least 16 government workers and six Afghan police officers were killed in the attack. An additional 44 government workers and police officers were injured.
Roshna Khalid, Salangi's spokesperson, said the attackers were able to get inside the governor's building while a security meeting was underway. Salangi, who was at the meeting, survived the attack.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said Taliban militants carried out the Parwan attack and that 48 Afghan government workers, police and foreign troops were killed. The Taliban routinely exaggerates the number of people killed and wounded in its attacks.
Over the past year ISAF has flown more than 50,000 rotary aircraft missions. Of those missions altogether three aircraft were lost through enemy activities of which one was last week's loss," Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson told reporters in ISAF weekly press briefing here.
According to Jacobson, NATO and Afghan forces have carried out over 2,800 special operations which captured or killed Taliban leaders over the same period of time.
"Ten-thousand missions were flown in the same timeframe for special operation forces, supporting over 2,800 operations," ISAF spokesman asserted.
He made these comments ten days after American forces suffered its largest single-day loss in Afghanistan since the war began by U.S.-led Coalition against terror in Afghanistan nearly ten years ago.
Thirty U.S. troops were killed when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down by a Taliban rocket propelled grenade on Saturday Aug. 6, many of whom were members of the Navy SEALs special force. Seven Afghan commandos and an Afghan interpreter were also killed in the air crash.
Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan and NATO-led forces claimed of responsibility for shooting down the NATO's helicopter on August 6 which took place in Wardak province west of capital city of Kabul.
"We will continue to take the fight to the enemy. We cannot be divided in our cause for a free Afghanistan," ISAF spokesman Gen. Carsten Jacobson further said.
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