105 Killed In Afghanistan, Including Canadain Soldier, American Civilian
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Islamic militants, some armed with machine guns, battled Afghan, U.S. and Canadian forces and exploded two suicide car bombs Thursday, some of the deadliest violence in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban.
More than 100 people were killed in the string of attacks that started late Wednesday: dozens of insurgents, at least 15 Afghan police, an American civilian training Afghan forces, and the first female Canadian soldier to die in combat.
The fighting concentrated in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar raised new concerns for the future of Afghanistan’s fragile democracy. The Taliban have stepped up attacks in recent months, with roadside bombs and suicide assaults, but this week’s fighting marked an escalation in a region where the U.S.-led coalition is to cede control of security operations to NATO by July.
President Hamid Karzai said the violence emanated from the mountainous border trial regions of neighboring Pakistan, populated by the ethnic Pashtuns who make up the majority of the Taliban militants and are believed to be hiding Osama bin Laden.
“We have credible reports that inside Pakistan, in the madrassas, the mullahs and teachers are saying to their students: ‘Go to Afghanistan for jihad. Burn the schools and clinics,”‘ Karzai said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Tasnim Aslam, called the allegations “baseless.”
ksdk.com