Karzai condemns Taliban after children die in blasts
President Hamid Karzai condemned the “enemies of Afghanistan” today after roadside bombs killed nine people, including five children, as insurgents fight intensified Nato-led operations in the south.
Meanwhile, Nato and Afghan forces reported killing 16 militants – including a “shadow” governor of a northern province.
In the roadside bombings last night in Kandahar city, the Interior Ministry said nine people were killed and 30 injured, including many police officers.
The blasts targeted a police vehicle and ripped through a road junction – a day after four officers died in co-ordinated bombings also aimed at police.
Karzai strongly condemned the latest attack and accused militants of deliberately targeting civilians.
“The enemies of Afghanistan, far from following Islamic principles, are targeting civilians including children,” a statement from his office said.
Control of Kandahar, the Taliban movement’s birthplace, is seen as key to reversing Taliban momentum in the war.
Afghan and Nato forces are engaged in a major operation there, dubbed Dragon Strike, to keep insurgents from staging attacks inside the city. In response, the Taliban have intensified a campaign targeting police and local officials.
The Taliban said the Nato-led operation was doomed to fail.
“America is operating in the districts of Kandahar, but the result will be that they will walk out with blood-filled, empty hands,” Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef said. “They could not achieve victory in nearly a decade ... this shows they never will.”
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said the operation was scattering insurgents from the restive region.
“Dragon Strike is continuing to put the pressure on these guys. Those who have remained and dug in and who are determined to fight are feeling enormous pressure ... The Taliban is clearly feeling it.”
A Nato airstrike killed Qari Ziauddin, identified as the Taliban’s “shadow” governor of Faryab province, and four other insurgents yesterday, the alliance said.
Joint Nato-Afghan operations resulted in the deaths of 11 other militants, the Afghan Ministry of Defence said.
