Afghan Blast Kills 7 NATO Troops
VOA News May 26, 2011
Taliban militants are claiming responsibility for the deadliest attack on NATO troops in Afghanistan in almost a month.
A Taliban spokesman said its fighters planted the bomb that killed seven NATO service members in the mountainous Shorabak district of Kandahar province Thursday.
NATO issued a statement earlier Thursday confirming the deaths but did not release any details of the attack.
Afghan police said two of its officers were also killed in the blast. They said the explosives had been placed in a cannister and detonated as NATO troops and Afghan police approached on foot.
Afghan officials said an unknown number of officers were also wounded in the blast.
Earlier in the day, a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan killed a NATO soldier.
The coalition said the cause of Thursday's crash is unknown and that it is investigating. No other details were given.
NATO has been bracing for an increase in attacks ever since Afghan insurgents announced the start of their latest offensive about a month ago.
Thousands of U.S. and NATO troops have been working for months to eradicate Taliban strongholds across the south and east of Afghanistan.
Thursday's bombing in Kandahar province was the deadliest attack on coalition forces since April 27, when an Afghan air force pilot opened fire at a military airport in Kabul, killing eight U.S. military personnel and a civilian employee.
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