Interior Ministry: Central Afghanistan blast killed 25 people, including 21 civilians
By APThursday, July 9, 2009
KABUL — An Interior Ministry spokesman says the massive blast in central Afghanistan has killed 25 people, including 21 civilians and four policemen.
Zemerai Bashary says the powerful blast also destroyed nearby shops lining the road in the central Logar province.
The provincial police chief, Mustafa Khan, says the blast happened after a truck filled with timber tipped over on the main road connecting Logar province with Kabul to the north.
The blast happened as thousands of U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan are involved in the biggest American military offensive in country since the ouster of the Taliban from power in 2001.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
KABUL (AP) — An explosion in central Afghanistan killed 14 people, including 10 civilians and four policemen Thursday, a provincial police chief said.
The blast happened after a truck filled with timber had tipped over on the main road connecting Logar province with Kabul to the north, said the provincial police chief, Mustafa Khan.
As the police were trying to clear the road, the blast ripped through them, killing four officers and 10 civilians, Khan said.
Authorities suspect the explosives were in the back of the truck, mingled with the timber, and were remotely detonated, Khan said.
Militants regularly use roadside bomb attacks against Afghan and foreign troops, but majority of the victims have been civilians.
The blast happened as thousands of U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan are involved in the biggest American military offensive in country since the ouster of the Taliban from power in 2001.
