Suicide attack on military bus kills five in Kabul

Image
AFP Kabul
Last Updated : Jul 02 2014 | 10:31 AM IST
A suicide bomb in Kabul killed five military officers today in an attack on an air force bus, Afghan officials said, in the latest strike against the national security forces as US troops withdraw.
The Afghan capital has been relatively peaceful since the presidential election on June 14, though there have been street demonstrations as politicians are locked in a dispute over vote fraud.
"A suicide bomber targeted an ANA (Afghan National Army) bus this morning killing five ANA officers and wounding four in the west of Kabul," Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the interior ministry, told AFP.
"Five civilians were also wounded. It was an ANA airforce vehicle."
General Zahir Azimi, the defence ministry spokesman, confirmed the death toll and said the attack struck at 7:00 am (0230 GMT) as the military staff were being taken to work.
Election day saw a sharp rise in nationwide violence, but there has not been a major attack in Kabul since June 7, when 12 people were killed in a suicide strike against presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah, who escaped unharmed.
Abdullah has said he will reject the result of the on-going vote count, alleging massive fraud against him in the election race against his rival Ashraf Ghani.
NATO's 50,000-strong combat force will leave Afghanistan by December, though about 10,000 US troops will stay into next year if the new president signs a security deal with Washington.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 02 2014 | 10:31 AM IST

Next Story