Afghanistan Times
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Karzai slams Kandahar terror attack
AT-KABUL: At least 37 civilians have been killed and 35 others were wounded in a group attack of the Taliban on residential apartments near Kandahar International Airport, said officials.
The attack began late yesterday afternoon when a group of 10 to 14 suicide bombers entered to a township near Kandahar airport and started fighting against Afghan security forces.
All 14 attackers, who had taken positions inside a school, market and residential apartments, have been killed. Families of both civilians and army officers are living in the apartments.
The Ministry of Defense said that the fighting imposed heavy casualties on civilians in which 37 “innocent countrymen”, including women and children have been killed and 35 others injured.
“The attackers have taken two families, including women and children, as hostages and use them as human shield in fight against security forces,” said local security officials in recent hours of the attack.
Mohsin Sultani, a spokesman of Afghan army in Kandahar told Afghanistan Times that security forces were searching the apartments and nearby facilities ‘carefully’ to eliminate the militants and ‘prevent further civilian casualties’.
Militants had managed to bring enough light and heavy weapons with them to the township.
“Most of the commercial flights in Kandahar Airport have been delayed by authorities to ensure safety of the passengers,” airport officials said.
Militant press wing on social media claimed their suicide bombers were fighting against Afghan and foreign troops.
However, NATO press office in Kabul in a statement said the Taliban were blocked out of the airport by Afghan troops. It said there had been no report on casualties among foreign troops.
Ex-President Hamid Karzai in a statement strongly denounced the terror attack. Karzai said that killing innocent civilian was an inhuman. Hamid Karzai extended his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed afor quick recovery of the wounded.
