Insurgents in Afghanistan

Insurgents kill dozens in Afghanistan

Afghan authorities have reported that more than two dozen people were killed in an insurgent attack in the southern part of Afghanistan which began late last night and ended only this morning.A suicide car bomber had launched a devastating attack at Kandahar airbase,one of the largest coalition airbases in Afghanistan.Zalmai Ayoubi,a spokesman for the governor of the Kandahar province said that eight Afghans were wounded and the death toll could rise.He also stated that the car bomber's target was a convoy of vehicles belonging to the coalition but United States Air Force Sgt. Thomas Dao, a coalition spokesman, could not confirm that report.Though he did say that here were no coalition casualties, and that operations the airbase were not disrupted.Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman,claimed the insurgents were behind the attack.Taliban fighters launched a ferocious assault on a police checkpoint in Now Zad District, in Helmand Province. Dawoud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the provincial governor said that at least two police officers and 12 Taliban fighters, including a local commander identified as Mullah Abdul Baqi, were killed in a gun battle and two officers were wounded.In Nad Ali District, which authorities had declared largely cleared of insurgents over the past year, a roadside bomb on Wednesday killed the district head of the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence service, along with a member of the district council,and two other people, according to Mr. Ahmadi.The bomb was planted near the home of the security directorate chief, Wali Mohammad, and struck his car as he arrived there at about 5 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Mohammad Ismail Hotak, the head of the Operation Coordination Center in the province. Other who were also killed were a security directorate agent, and a civilian, Afghan officials said.In the second incident, which took place an hour earlier on Wednesday, a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle targeted a joint Afghan police and International Security Assistance Force patrol in Kajaki District, northern Helmand Province. The explosion took place in a crowded bazaar area, killing three police officers and ten civilians, and wounding 22 other people, according to Mr. Ahmadi.General John R. Allen, the ISAF commander issued a statement saying that “Mullah Omar has lost all control over Taliban insurgents, otherwise he would immediately denounce these attacks and order his ‘forces’ to stop attacking innocent Afghan civilians,"referring to Muhammad Omar, the Taliban leader.