10 security personnel injured in Faryab car bombing

KABUL (Pajhwok): A heavy car-bombing injured 10 security personnel in the Almar district of northwestern Faryab province on Tuesday, a security source said, but police said the blast caused no casualties but caused financial losses to civilians.

Wishing not to be named, the security source said the Taliban wanted to blow up the explosives-laden Humvee vehicle near an army base last night but failed to reach their target after the vehicle was punctured in the middle of the fighting zone.

The source said the Taliban accelerated their attacks early on Tuesday and hit the explosive-laden Humvee with a rocket which caused it to explode.

Provincial Council member Abdul MamanQati said the bombing was so powerful that its sound was heard 25 kilometers away in Maimana, the provincial capital.

Police spokesperson Abdul Karim Youresh claimed the Taliban suffered heavy losses during the clashes and added the Humvee vehicle bombing was foiled before reaching its target.

He added two assailants in the Humvee vehicle were shot down by security forces and the explosives were defused by an ANA engineering team stationed in the area.

According to him, the explosion did not cause any civilian or military casualties, but damaged homes, mosques and schools because there was so much explosive material.

But the Taliban rejected the killing of their fighters and said the explosive-laden vehicle did not reach its target last night but it was exploded through heavy weapons fire this morning.

nh/ma