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12 killed in Afghanistan in 2 days

11 November 2011 17:15 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. At least 12 people including six suicide bombers have been killed in the most recent Taliban-led violent attacks in insurgency-hit country since Thursday morning, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

In the latest string of violent attacks, Taliban insurgents carried out an attack in the country’s restive southern region that left a NATO soldier dead in Friday, the military alliance confirmed.

"An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan today," the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement released here in Afghan capital Kabul on Friday.

However, the brief statement did not provide details as to the exact place of the incident and the nationality of the victim under ISAF policy, only saying "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities."

Over 510 NATO soldiers, most of them Americans, have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of this year.

This is the third security incident since Thursday morning.

Four suicide bombers and three Afghan policemen were killed when Taliban launched a coordinated attack against a district headquarters in eastern Paktia province on Thursday afternoon, Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed on Friday.

According to local media reports the attack on Samkani district occurred when a meeting between the governor of Chamkani district and local elders, who were due to attend a Loya Jirga or grand assembly to be held in Kabul, was underway in the province, some 100 km south of Kabul.

Afghan government is going to convene the Loya Jirga, possibly on Nov. 16, to discuss the proposed Afghan-U.S. strategic partnership and the peace process.

"A suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden vehicle at the gate of Samkani district headquarters and then a group of militants, probably suicide attackers, tried to enter," said Abdul Rahman Mangal, the deputy provincial governor of Paktia.

"The attack began at approximately 3:15 p.m. (1045 GMT), with insurgents continuing to fight after barricading themselves inside a mosque. The battle ended at approximately 5 p.m. (1300 GMT) after a U.S. helicopter received permission from Afghan government officials to engage the insurgents," a statement issued by ISAF’ s Regional Command-East late on Thursday said.

"This is the third failed insurgent attack within the last month. They are getting more and more desperate. That they would attack from a mosque shows what little regard they have for the Afghan people," U.S. Brig. Gen. Gary Volesky, deputy commander, Regional Command-East said in the statement. "The Afghan police demonstrated their continued capability to protect and fight for the citizens."

The coming four-day Loya Jirga is scheduled to be held under a giant tent inside the Polytechnic University compound in Kabul, and as part of the security measures, the Afghan government has given days-off for the students of Polytechnic during the Jirga, besides stationing police on the hilltops and roads leading to the Jirga avenue.

Taliban militants, who attacked a peace Jirge, or peace gathering, under the same tent in 2010, have warned sternly to disrupt the coming event which will be attended by more than 2,000 representatives from all over the country.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (name of the ousted Taliban regime) calls on its brave and courageous Mujahideen (holy warriors) to target every security guard, person with intention to participate in the so-called Loya Jirga, and such traitors will be pursued by Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate in every corner of the country and will face severe repercussions," the statement warned.

Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for Paktia’s attack, a purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told local media, via cell phone from undisclosed location, that his fighters killed over 10 Afghan and NATO forces members in the attack.

Separately, two civilians were killed and a child was injured when a suicide bomber, apparently targeting an ISAF military convoy, blew his explosive-led vehicle up in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of southern Helmand province, on Thursday evening.

A spokesman for Helmand’s provincial government confirmed the incident, adding no Afghan or ISAF forces were killed in the attack in the province where Afghan police and army already took full contrail of its provincial capital of Lashkar Gah in July this year.

What’s more, on Friday evening, a statement from south Afghan province Kandahar said an armed insurgent was killed in firefight between Afghan National Police and armed insurgents in Zhari District of Kandahar Province on Friday afternoon.

"The insurgent was killed after a group of insurgents equipped with small arms attacked a police checkpoint in Nalgham village of the above mentioned district at 4 p.m. (1130 GMT)," said the statement.

"Afghan National Police has very professionally repelled the insurgent attack and backed it with the death of one insurgent. An investigation was launched by Afghan National Police to find out the safe havens of the insurgents who escaped from the fight this afternoon. No ANP or civilian casualties or economic loss have been reported from the fight."