Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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November 24, 2007

Suicide Bomber Kills Afghan Schoolchildren, Wounds Italian Soldiers
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1A5B1CB:A6F02AD83191E160C99E6FCC33413A8F2E7CA1C1B166B639& Bomber detonated
explosives near group of Italian soldiers constructing bridge



An Afghan investigator inspects a bridge after a suicide attack in
Paghman district of Kabul, 24 Nov 2007" hspace=2
src="/english/images/ap_afghanistan_italian_blast_24nov07_eng_195.jpg"
width=210 vspace=2 border=0>

An Afghan investigator inspects a bridge after a suicide attack in
Paghman district of Kabul, 24 Nov 2007Afghan officials say several
schoolchildren were among those killed Saturday when a suicide bomber
detonated explosives near a group of Italian soldiers who were
constructing a bridge.

Authorities say the blast killed seven people and wounded nine outside
the capital, Kabul. Italian military officials say an Italian soldier
was among the dead, while three other Italian soldiers were wounded.

Witnesses say a crowd that included children had gathered to watch the
soldiers work on the bridge.

This year, suicide bombers have carried out more than 130 attacks in
Afghanistan, and more than six thousand people have died in
insurgency-related violence.

On Friday, an Australian soldier was killed in fighting with Taliban
militants in southern Afghanistan.

Australian officials say the 26-year-old member of the NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was part of operation
targeting Taliban bomb-makers in southern Uruzgan province.

The soldier was the third Australian killed in Afghanistan in recent
months.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.


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