John
02-20-2011, 05:56 PM
The death toll from an attack by suicide bombers on a bank in the Afghan city of Jalalabad has risen to 38.
Suicide bombers disguised as border police and flanked by gunmen attacked a branch of the Kabulbank, which handles the salaries for the Afghan police and armed forces.
Gul Agha Sherzai, governor of the eastern Nangarhar province - of which Jalalabad is the capital - said seven insurgents stormed the bank with three of them detonating explosive vests inside the building.
Both civilians and members of Afghanistan's security forces are among the dead and wounded.
"Thirty-eight people were martyred, which includes 21 security forces personnel and 17 civilians," interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told reporters on Sunday.
According to a defence ministry spokesman, seven Afghan national army soldiers were killed, while five soldiers were wounded.
Thirteen police officers were also killed, and a provincial official, who refused to be named, said one intelligence service worker had died.
Fighting continued for several hours after the initial explosions.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility, saying three suicide bombers entered the bank and killed "many" security service members as they were collecting their pay.
One of the attackers, a Pakistani resident of the Taliban stronghold in north Waziristan, was arrested by Afghan police, said Mr Bashary.
The bombing was the third attack in a week to target police in Afghanistan, who alongside the army are due to take control of the country's security from 2014.
A government worker employee, who gave his name as Salman, was in the bank when the attack happened and said his brother was killed.
"They shot the bank tellers first. I saw dead and wounded people inside the bank," he said.
Another witness who was in the bank said the gunmen were shooting people "indiscriminately".
A medical source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the police chief of Nangarhar province and Jalalabad's criminal police chief were both slightly hurt.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack.
"People were there doing business deals and to receive their salaries," he said.
"This attack once again showed the cruel actions of the terrorists who do not want the people of Afghanistan to live in peace."
Source - Yahoo.
Suicide bombers disguised as border police and flanked by gunmen attacked a branch of the Kabulbank, which handles the salaries for the Afghan police and armed forces.
Gul Agha Sherzai, governor of the eastern Nangarhar province - of which Jalalabad is the capital - said seven insurgents stormed the bank with three of them detonating explosive vests inside the building.
Both civilians and members of Afghanistan's security forces are among the dead and wounded.
"Thirty-eight people were martyred, which includes 21 security forces personnel and 17 civilians," interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told reporters on Sunday.
According to a defence ministry spokesman, seven Afghan national army soldiers were killed, while five soldiers were wounded.
Thirteen police officers were also killed, and a provincial official, who refused to be named, said one intelligence service worker had died.
Fighting continued for several hours after the initial explosions.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility, saying three suicide bombers entered the bank and killed "many" security service members as they were collecting their pay.
One of the attackers, a Pakistani resident of the Taliban stronghold in north Waziristan, was arrested by Afghan police, said Mr Bashary.
The bombing was the third attack in a week to target police in Afghanistan, who alongside the army are due to take control of the country's security from 2014.
A government worker employee, who gave his name as Salman, was in the bank when the attack happened and said his brother was killed.
"They shot the bank tellers first. I saw dead and wounded people inside the bank," he said.
Another witness who was in the bank said the gunmen were shooting people "indiscriminately".
A medical source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the police chief of Nangarhar province and Jalalabad's criminal police chief were both slightly hurt.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack.
"People were there doing business deals and to receive their salaries," he said.
"This attack once again showed the cruel actions of the terrorists who do not want the people of Afghanistan to live in peace."
Source - Yahoo.