Jalalabad
Posted on 04/05/2003 3:20:43 PM PST by miltonim
Afghan deputy commander, four others injured in bomb blast in Afghanistan
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) - A bomb exploded at an Afghan army base on Saturday, wounding an officer and four other soldiers, officials said.
The explosion at the Army's 14th Garrison headquarters in the eastern city of Jalalabad injured deputy commander Syed Rehman, said Haji Tahir, head of the garrison.
Journalists were barred by Afghan officials from entering the base, but residents said they saw heavy smoke coming out of the compound after the explosion.
The bomb was powerful enough to shatter windows in several nearby houses.
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, but immediate suspicion fell on remnants of former Taliban regime and al-Qaida.
Tahir said he has ordered an investigation into the blast.
Several small explosions have occurred in Jalalabad in recent months. They are usually blamed on Taliban and al-Qaida members, who can easily flee to neighboring Pakistan or to nearby provinces.
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