FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, Dec 19

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 06:48 GMT

Source: reuters // Reuters

Dec 19 (Reuters) - Following are security developments in Afghanistan at 0700 GMT on Sunday.

* denotes new or updated items.

* KABUL - Two militants wearing suicide vests opened fire on a bus carrying Afghan army training officers, killing five and wounding nine, the Defence Ministry said.

The attackers opened fire on a bus carrying the officers on the main road from Kabul to the eastern city of Jalalabad, the site of NATO and Afghan army bases and several similar attacks. One attacker blew himself up and the other was shot by police before he could detonate his explosives, authorities said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, the first major attack in the Afghan capital since May when six foreign troops were killed in a suicide bombing.

KABUL - A member of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, ISAF said in a statement. No further details were available. The death took the number of foreign troops killed in 2010 to 700, making it by far the deadliest year of the war.

KUNDUZ - Three Afghan soldiers and two policemen were killed in an attack by at least three suicide bombers on an army recruitment centre in the northern city of Kunduz, the city's police chief said. The Defence Ministry said four bombers attacked the centre and that two had been killed and the remaining two were trapped inside.

NANGARHAR - An ISAF air strike killed at least three insurgents in eastern Nangarhar province as they were laying a roadside bomb overnight, ISAF said.

KUNDUZ - Afghan and coalition forces killed or detained several insurgents in northern Kunduz province while hunting the Taliban leader for Imam Sahib district overnight, ISAF said. Coalition forces came under fire when they reached a compound and returned fire, killing "several insurgents, an ISAF statement said. Several others were later detained but it was not clear if the district leader was among those killed or detained. (Compiled by Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Miral Fahmy) (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)