SgtJim
08-02-2011, 06:48 PM
Tuesday, 02 August 2011 10:35
Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 August 2011 14:13
Written by TOLOnews.com
At least four guards of a private security company were killed early Tuesday in a suicide attack on the firm's offices, local officials said.
The incident took place in Kunduz city at 04:00 am local time when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at the entrance of the office, allowing two other attackers to get inside, Samiullah Qatra, police chief of Kunduz told TOLOnews.
Two other suicide bombers started firefight with security forces and after two hours they also detonated his explosives, he added.
Mr Qatra said ten Afghan civilians and a policeman were also wounded in the blast.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said that foreign and Afghan forces have casualties in the attack.
Northern Kunduz province has suffered much of the worst violence in the nearly decade-long Taliban-led insurgency.
Recently Taliban killed northern Afghanistan's influential police commander in the province of Takhar and police chief of Kunduz.
Taliban have increased their activities in the country targeting key Afghan officials, government sites and Afghan and foreign forces.
Violence has increased as foreign forces started security transition to Afghan forces which will be completed by the end of 2014.
Afghan forces have taken security responsibilities of seven areas in the first phase of the transition process as planned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrOhTh2wC-U
--------------------------------
AP version:
11584
Afghan police officers carry the body of a hotel guard in a black cloth after a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday. (AP Photo/ Ahmed Bilal)
11585
Afghan police men inspects the scene of a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday, killing at least three guards in the latest of a rising number of violent attacks in northern Afghanistan.(AP Photo/ Ezatullah Pamir)
11586
Afghan men stand near scene of a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday, killing at least three guards in the latest of a rising number of violent attacks in northern Afghanistan.(AP Photo/ Ezatullah Pamir)
11587
Afghan policeman and locals walk near the damaged buildings after a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday, killing at least three guards in the latest of a rising number of violent attacks in northern Afghanistan.(AP Photo/ Ezatullah Pamir)
11588
Afghan police officers inspect the scene of a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday.(AP Photo/ Ezatullah Pamir)
11589
Afghan police officers wrap the body of a hotel guard in a black cloth after a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday. (AP Photo/ Ahmed Bilal)KABUL, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber blew up his car outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday, killing four guards, as two other militants stormed the hotel in Kunduz (http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Kunduz) city and engaged the Afghan police in a two-hour gunbattle.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault - the latest in a rising number of attacks in northern Afghanistan (http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Afghanistan).
The explosion rocked the neighborhood all around the house in Kunduz city, said Mubobullah Sayedi, a provincial spokesman. "When the bomber blew himself up, the explosion shook everything," Sayedi said. "It broke glass everywhere."
Four Afghan building guards were killed and 10 other people, including an Afghan policeman, were wounded, Sayedi said. Foreigners staying at the two-story hotel escaped through the rear of the building, he said.
Sarwar Husseini, a provincial police spokesman, said German aid workers often stayed in the house, but that it was not clear who the foreigners staying there when the attack took place were. The Interior Ministry said the house was used by GIZ, a German development and assistance organization that contracts mostly with the German government.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid (http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Zabiullah_Mujahid) said in a text message to The Associated Press that the assailants had attacked a "German intelligence center and security company."
The inn burned and several nearby buildings were damaged. Flames could be seen shooting up an exterior wall as police contained the area. A severed leg lay on the ground, while other body parts had been collected and tied up in a blanket.
"We heard a very big explosion that shook all of Kunduz," said Ahmadullah, a 30-year-old shopkeeper in Kunduz, who lives about 10 yards (meters) from the building. "It was a very strong explosion."
Ahmadullah, who uses just one name, said he and his family quickly ran out of the neighborhood to a relative's house nearby. Worried that they were still too close to the fighting, they moved even farther away to seek protection in another relative's house.
"All my children were so scared," he said. "We have never been so close to a suicide bombing."
Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 August 2011 14:13
Written by TOLOnews.com
At least four guards of a private security company were killed early Tuesday in a suicide attack on the firm's offices, local officials said.
The incident took place in Kunduz city at 04:00 am local time when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at the entrance of the office, allowing two other attackers to get inside, Samiullah Qatra, police chief of Kunduz told TOLOnews.
Two other suicide bombers started firefight with security forces and after two hours they also detonated his explosives, he added.
Mr Qatra said ten Afghan civilians and a policeman were also wounded in the blast.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said that foreign and Afghan forces have casualties in the attack.
Northern Kunduz province has suffered much of the worst violence in the nearly decade-long Taliban-led insurgency.
Recently Taliban killed northern Afghanistan's influential police commander in the province of Takhar and police chief of Kunduz.
Taliban have increased their activities in the country targeting key Afghan officials, government sites and Afghan and foreign forces.
Violence has increased as foreign forces started security transition to Afghan forces which will be completed by the end of 2014.
Afghan forces have taken security responsibilities of seven areas in the first phase of the transition process as planned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrOhTh2wC-U
--------------------------------
AP version:
11584
Afghan police officers carry the body of a hotel guard in a black cloth after a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday. (AP Photo/ Ahmed Bilal)
11585
Afghan police men inspects the scene of a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday, killing at least three guards in the latest of a rising number of violent attacks in northern Afghanistan.(AP Photo/ Ezatullah Pamir)
11586
Afghan men stand near scene of a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday, killing at least three guards in the latest of a rising number of violent attacks in northern Afghanistan.(AP Photo/ Ezatullah Pamir)
11587
Afghan policeman and locals walk near the damaged buildings after a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday, killing at least three guards in the latest of a rising number of violent attacks in northern Afghanistan.(AP Photo/ Ezatullah Pamir)
11588
Afghan police officers inspect the scene of a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday.(AP Photo/ Ezatullah Pamir)
11589
Afghan police officers wrap the body of a hotel guard in a black cloth after a suicide attack in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011. A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday. (AP Photo/ Ahmed Bilal)KABUL, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber blew up his car outside a small residential hotel frequented by foreigners just after dawn Tuesday, killing four guards, as two other militants stormed the hotel in Kunduz (http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Kunduz) city and engaged the Afghan police in a two-hour gunbattle.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault - the latest in a rising number of attacks in northern Afghanistan (http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Afghanistan).
The explosion rocked the neighborhood all around the house in Kunduz city, said Mubobullah Sayedi, a provincial spokesman. "When the bomber blew himself up, the explosion shook everything," Sayedi said. "It broke glass everywhere."
Four Afghan building guards were killed and 10 other people, including an Afghan policeman, were wounded, Sayedi said. Foreigners staying at the two-story hotel escaped through the rear of the building, he said.
Sarwar Husseini, a provincial police spokesman, said German aid workers often stayed in the house, but that it was not clear who the foreigners staying there when the attack took place were. The Interior Ministry said the house was used by GIZ, a German development and assistance organization that contracts mostly with the German government.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid (http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Zabiullah_Mujahid) said in a text message to The Associated Press that the assailants had attacked a "German intelligence center and security company."
The inn burned and several nearby buildings were damaged. Flames could be seen shooting up an exterior wall as police contained the area. A severed leg lay on the ground, while other body parts had been collected and tied up in a blanket.
"We heard a very big explosion that shook all of Kunduz," said Ahmadullah, a 30-year-old shopkeeper in Kunduz, who lives about 10 yards (meters) from the building. "It was a very strong explosion."
Ahmadullah, who uses just one name, said he and his family quickly ran out of the neighborhood to a relative's house nearby. Worried that they were still too close to the fighting, they moved even farther away to seek protection in another relative's house.
"All my children were so scared," he said. "We have never been so close to a suicide bombing."