3 security forces killed in Paktia car bombing

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Three security personnel were killed and eight others, including civilians, wounded as a result of a car bombing targeting Public Protection Force unit in southeastern Paktia province on Tuesday morning.

The car bombing hit a base of the security personnel guarding infrastructure projects in Gardez, the provincial capital, at around 5:30am.

Police chief Sultan Dawood Sultan told Pajhwok the blast, conducted through a tank, hit the wall of the compound, enabling two gunmen to enter the facility.

Sultan said the two gunmen wore suicide vests but they were shot dead by the security forces, but the explosives did not go off. Three security forces were killed and five others wounded.

Sher Alam, a security officer of the unit, said they were offering morning prayers when the powerful explosion took place and some walls of the facility were destroyed.

Alam said a mosque (prayer leader) injured.

Governor Halim Fidayee slammed the bombing as an attack on public welfare schemes. He said the unit personnel were guarding public projects.

Fidayee confirmed three security forces and two attackers were killed and five others wounded.

Dr. Aseel Khan Nasiri, head of the zonal hospital, told Pajhwok 11 people suffered casualties and some of them were brought to the medical facility while others were evacuated to a hospital of the 203^rd Thunder Military Corps.

Nasiri confirmed receiving two injured security personnel and as many civilians from scene of the attack.

As usual, the Taliban claimed credit for the bombing. The group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said dozens of government forces were killed and wounded in the attack.

sa/mud