Military

Suicide Bomber Kills 17 in Southern Afghanistan

By VOA News
10 July 2007

Afghan officials say a bomber blew himself up in a crowded market in southern Afghanistan Tuesday, killing 17 civilians and wounding 30 people.

Officials said children are among those killed in the attack. They said the bomber appeared to target NATO troops who were on patrol in the bazaar in Dihrawud in Uruzgan province.

A spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force said seven NATO troops were wounded. The Dutch Defense Ministry said Dutch soldiers were among the injured, and one is in critical condition.

Earlier in the day, officials with the U.S. led-coalition in Afghanistan said a coalition soldier died of wounds late Monday following a shooting at an army base in the western city of Herat.

The military said four Afghans were also killed in the incident.

A local government spokeswoman, Farzana Ahmadi, said authorities arrested another Afghan soldier for the shooting.

The spokeswoman said the attacker may have had links to the Taleban. However, the Afghan Defense Ministry said the shooting was the result of an argument.

At least 10 other soldiers were injured in the shooting.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.