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Bomber 'kills 45' at Afghan volleyball match
By RFE/RL
November 23, 2014
Afghan officials say a suicide attack has killed at least 45 people at a volleyball tournament in eastern Paktika Province.
Mokhis Afghan, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the attack happened during an interdistrict tournament attended by a large crowed in the Yahyakhail district late afternoon on November 23.
He said the attacker walked into a crowd of spectators and detonated his explosive vest.
Most of the casualties were civilians, the official said.
"There were too many people gathered in the one place to watch the game. Dozens of others are wounded and we have reports that many of them are in critical condition," Afghan said.
"We need urgent help from the central government because we might need to transfer wounded people to Kabul for treatment," he added.
Local officials estimate that some 70 others were injured during the attack.
Paktika, bordering Pakistan, is a volatile province where the Taliban has a strong presence.
Davood Tappan, a correspondent for RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan in the region, said there were many police officers and other officials among the spectators.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack, one of the deadliest assaults in Afghanistan so far this year.
The Taliban and other militants have launched waves of suicide attacks and assassinations this year, as foreign forces continue to withdraw after 13 years of war.
The attack in Paktika came as Afghanistan's parliament approved bilateral security agreements with the United States and separately with NATO that allow international troops to remain in Afghanistan after the troop withdrawal by the end of 2014.
The new Afghan government signed the two agreements on September 30.
The agreements ratified by parliament allow the United States and NATO to keep some 12,000 troops in Afghanistan next year to support local forces.
The agreements came after administration officials say U.S. President Barack Obama approved new guidelines that would allow U.S. troops to engage Taliban fighters, not only Al-Qaeda terrorists, and also provide for U.S. air support when needed.
Suicide Attack Kills More Than 45 At Volleyball Tournament In Afghanistan
By RFE/RL
November 23, 2014
Afghan officials say a suicide attack has killed at least 45 people at a volleyball tournament in eastern Paktika Province.
Mokhis Afghan, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the attack happened during an interdistrict tournament attended by a large crowed in the Yahyakhail district late afternoon on November 23.
He said the attacker walked into a crowd of spectators and detonated his explosive vest.
Most of the casualties were civilians, the official said.
"There were too many people gathered in the one place to watch the game. Dozens of others are wounded and we have reports that many of them are in critical condition," Afghan said.
"We need urgent help from the central government because we might need to transfer wounded people to Kabul for treatment," he added.
Local officials estimate that some 70 others were injured during the attack.
Paktika, bordering Pakistan, is a volatile province where the Taliban has a strong presence.
Davood Tappan, a correspondent for RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan in the region, said there were many police officers and other officials among the spectators.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack, one of the deadliest assaults in Afghanistan so far this year.
The Taliban and other militants have launched waves of suicide attacks and assassinations this year, as foreign forces continue to withdraw after 13 years of war.
The attack in Paktika came as Afghanistan's parliament approved bilateral security agreements with the United States and separately with NATO that allow international troops to remain in Afghanistan after the troop withdrawal by the end of 2014.
The new Afghan government signed the two agreements on September 30.
The agreements ratified by parliament allow the United States and NATO to keep some 12,000 troops in Afghanistan next year to support local forces.
The agreements came after administration officials say U.S. President Barack Obama approved new guidelines that would allow U.S. troops to engage Taliban fighters, not only Al-Qaeda terrorists, and also provide for U.S. air support when needed.
Suicide Attack Kills More Than 45 At Volleyball Tournament In Afghanistan
