Taliban claim suicide blast that killed 14 Afghan children

Debmey · Post time 30-12-2008 08:17 AM

Posted: 29 December 2008 1846 hrs

KABUL : Afghanistan's extremist Taliban network on Monday claimed responsibility for a weekend suicide car bombing that the NATO military force said killed 14 children and two adults.

The insurgent group said in a statement that the attack on Sunday against a district government compound in the eastern province of Khost had killed only US and Afghan troops.

The statement posted on their website said: "In the attack, at least 20 American and puppet terrorists were killed and more than 50 were wounded, and the building was destroyed."

The NATO- and US-led military forces reported no casualties from the attack, although government officials said one Afghan soldier was killed.

The statement praised the attacker, identified as Afghan Qari Hameedullah, claiming he had rammed a "explosive-laden vehicle into a puppet Afghan government building."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the United Nations condemned the bloody attack in Ismail Khail district.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which treated some of the wounded, said 14 children were among the 16 dead and put the number of injured at 58.

ISAF released video footage showing a four-by-four vehicle negotiating security barricades before exploding in a ball of fire as young boys filed past.

Ismail Khail district governor Dawlat Khan Qayomi said 12 children and two soldiers - one with the national army and another with a pro-government militia - were killed.

The attacker had apparently targeted a meeting of Qayomi and local leaders, called to discuss security and presidential elections due next year.

There is also a small international military post inside the district government compound, an AFP reporter said.

The Taliban, who were in government between 1996 and 2001, are waging an insurgency against Karzai's Western-backed government.

The insurgents stage regular bombings that are aimed mostly at security forces but kill more civilians. - AFP/ms