Afghanistan - Deadliest suicide attack kills dozens in Baghlan, VIP's among the dead

Afgha.com ^ | November 6, 2007

[HAL9000]

The deadliest suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan’s history killed over 30 people and wounded well over 100 in the peaceful northern province of Baghlan. VIP’s, including a Parliamentary Financial Committee, were visiting a sugar factory in New Baghlan, close to the larger Pul-i-Kumri city, when the blast occurred. At this hour, the city is still in the throws of carnage and chaos.

The body count has fluctuated widely since the attack occurred early this morning and local officials say it may take days to pick through the burnt bodies and rubble before an accurate number is acquired.

Sayed Mustafa Kazemi, who served as the Commerce Minister before becoming the lead spokesman for the opposition group, the United National Front (Jabhe-ye-Motahed-e-Milli), has been confirmed killed in the attack. Other members of Parliament killed include Abdul Mateen, a former communist engineer from the southern province of Helmand; Qudrutallah Zaki from the northern province of Takhar; Said Rahman Hehmat from Kunar Province and Muhammed Arif Zarif from Kabul.

The attack also left an unknown number of school children dead who were preparing to sing as the VIP’s entered the sugar factory. Several tribal elders greeting the VIP’s were also reported to be amongst the dead.

The attack has been condemned by a sporadic Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid. “We, the movement of the Taliban, condemn the action and whoever carried it out,” he said. “It took the lives of ordinary people mostly.”

The Taliban have routinely denied carrying out attacks that kill civilians or children because of the bad publicity it garners. However, a factional hand may also be in play as this area of northern Baghlan is known to be a stronghold of UNF strongman, General Abdul Rashid Dostum, who has enemies abound.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hezb-i-Islami faction is also known to hold pockets of various northern provinces including Baghlan and has a serious rift with Dostum and the UNF. Cut out from the UNF’s creation, Hekmatyar has exerted revenge against former commanders and some of those Hezb commanders who joined the UNF; such as Ustad Farid, who was assassinated earlier this year.

Hekmatyar has previously defended the use of suicide bombers but said his group “felt no need” to utilize the deadly tactic. The wanton killing of small children and tribal elders bares all the hallmarks of previous Hekmatyar attacks.

[Westlander]

Probably difficult to obtain a true body count when your dealing with ‘pink mist’.

[roses of sharon]

MSM/DNC: Islamic Cultists are “winning” again.

[Romneyfor President2008]

Since it happened up north, it’s probably the act of some warlord. There’s a lot of warlordism in the northern provinces. It’s kind of the reason why people in the south “sympathize” with the Taliban. Too bad they’re not all like Panjshir or Bamiyan.

[ViLaLuz]

Did you see the article where Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s people denied doing it, and said that maybe the Americans did it. Hah! Asking around, most people think that the Pakistan Taliban are somehow responsible. My gut feeling it’s Taliban, but they are afraid to admit it because of all the children that were killed.