10 dead, 12 wounded in Afghan airport bombing

At least 10 people were killed and a dozen others injured Monday when a Taliban suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden vehicle near the gate of the airport in Afghanistan’s Jalalabad city, officials said.

The dead comprised the suicide bomber, five civilians, two armymen and two local security guards, police chief of Nangarhar province Abdullah Stanekzai told Xinhua.

“A suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden vehicle near the gate of Jalalabad city airport this morning. Ten people, including the suicide bomber, were killed and 12 others were injured,” Stanekzai said.

Jalalabad is the capital of the Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.

Two American soldiers and six Afghan soldiers were among the injured, he said.

Several cars were damaged in the blast that occurred around 6.30 a.m., witnesses said.

“There was a young man driving a car who intended to enter the airport but he detonated his car shortly after army soldiers intercepted him and stopped his car,” a witness told Xinhua.

The massive explosion created a crater one metre deep and two metres in diameter in the road, the witness added.

The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told local media over telephone that a Taliban fighter targeted foreign forces at the airport, and killed several foreign security personnel on the spot.