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July 25, 2009

Suicide Attackers Strike Eastern Afghan City
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2591E42:A6F02AD83191E16029A6D715B935055B0531BB26A5003E7B&
 
Officials say Taliban militants tried to carry out simultaneous attacks
in Khost Saturday, with up to seven suicide bombers targeting
government, police buildings 
Afghan officials say Taliban militants tried to carry out simultaneous
attacks in the eastern city of Khost Saturday, with up to seven suicide
bombers targeting government and police buildings. There are conflicting
reports about the attacks, but at least 14 people, including security
personnel were reported injured. Afghan
officials say at least three suicide bombers tried to detonate their
explosives, while another attacker detonated a car rigged with
explosives near police. A gun battle ensued, and the interior ministry
says some of the suicide bombers were shot and killed before they
reached their targets. Defense officials say the group of attackers was
armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket grenades. On
Tuesday, Taliban militants strapped with explosives and armed with
rifles launched assaults on Afghan and U.S. facilities in the two
eastern cities of Gardez and Jalalabad. At least six security
personnel were killed. Some of the gunmen were dressed as women. There
is a U.S. military base in Khost, but U.S. forces were not believed to
be involved in Saturday's fighting. Separately,
British defense officials say a British soldier was killed in an
explosion Saturday while on patrol in the southern province of Helmand.
July has been the deadliest month for international forces in
Afghanistan since the Taliban-led government was ousted in
2001.Thousands
of U.S. Marines, along with British and Afghan troops, have launched a
major anti-Taliban offensive in Helmand. The operation - called
"Strike of the Sword" - is designed to protect the civilian population
ahead of next month's presidential vote in Afghanistan. Some information
for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters. 


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