At least two civilians were killed and 60 others were injured Friday in a suicide bombing in south-eastern Afghanistan, which the Taliban said was revenge for the execution of their fighters this week.
“A suicide bomber detonated his explosives-loaded truck behind a bazaar in a residential area in Maidan Shahr city,” local police official Abdul Wali told dpa, referring to the capital of Wardak province.
“Two civilians were killed and 60 others were injured,” he said.
“There are no military bases or governmental buildings in the area.
It is a strictly civilian population.” The Taliban claimed responsibility in a statement.
“The attack was carried out in retaliation for the four Taliban soldiers who were executed on Wednesday. The revenge attacks will continue,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said.
At least 14 people, some of whom were Taliban insurgents, were executed in Kabul on Tuesday and Wednesday at the order of the president.
“Sohail Ghaznavi, one of our mujahideen, detonated his truck in an Afghan-NATO coalition joint base that killed 10 Afghan and coalition soldiers,” Mujahid said.
The Taliban are known to exaggerate casualty figures.
