Afghan bomb kills 15, including 6 Americans
KABUL, Afghanistan – A suicide car bombing tore through a U.S. convoy in Kabul on Thursday, killing at least 15 people including six Americans in a blast so powerful it rattled the other side of the Afghan capital. U.S. soldiers rushed to help, some wearing only T-shirts or shorts under their body armor.
A Muslim militant group claimed responsibility for the morning rush-hour attack, saying it was carried out by a new suicide unit formed in response to reports that the U.S. plans to keep bases and troops in Afghanistan even after the 2014 deadline for the end of the foreign combat mission.
The group, Hizb-e-Islami, said its fighters had stalked the Americans for a week to learn their routine before striking – a claim that raises questions about U.S. security procedures.
Thursday’s bombing pushed the monthly toll for the U.S.-led coalition to 18, making May the deadliest month so far this year. By comparison, 44 international troops were killed in the same period last year.
Series of attacks kills 21 people across Iraq
BAGHDAD – Car bombs hit Shiite neighborhoods of the Iraqi capital for the second consecutive day Thursday, part of a series of attacks across the country that left 21 people dead and raised concerns about the return of sectarian bloodshed.
The spike in violence comes amid growing tensions between the Shiite-led government and Iraq’s Sunni minority about what they consider second-class treatment. A government crackdown on militants last month in a protest camp in the country’s north fueled the latest tensions.
Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Thursday blamed sectarian tensions for the latest attacks.
“We have to know that today’s bloodshed is the result of sectarian hatred and also the result of a stirring up of these sectarian tensions,” al-Maliki said during a government-organized conference about atrocities committed under dictator Saddam Hussein.
Associated Press
