|
|
|
General Abdul Razzaq Shah. |
Two Taliban suicide bombers struck inside police headquarters in southern Afghanistan for the second day straight. The target of the attack was a senior police general.
The bombers penetrated security at the police headquarters in an effort to assassinate General Abdul Razzaq Shah, the chief of border police in the district of Spin Boldak in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
The bombers split up and searched both floors of the two story building in an effort to find Razzaq, but were stopped by policemen and detonated their vests. Six policemen were killed in the attack and 37 were wounded. Sixteen of those wounded were in serious condition,
Razzaq played a big role in 2006 Operation Medusa and has a penchant for gunning down rival Noorzai tribal elders, many of whom support the Taliban. The Afghan government pulled him from Spin Boldak and sent him into the western Panjwai and Zhari districts in Kandahar to fight the Taliban during Operation Medusa.
The Taliban took credit for today’s attack in Kandahar. Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousif Ahmadi said his group was behind the attack, and Razzaq has been a target for some time.
Spin Boldak sits across the border from the city of Chaman in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province. This crossing is one of the two major border checkpoints between Pakistan and Afghanistan. More than 35,000 people move through the Friend Gate at Chaman and into Spin Boldak everyday.
The attack occurred just one day after a similar strike against a senior intelligence officer in the western province of Nimroz. A Taliban suicide bomber breached the security at a government building and killed Anwar Shah Khan, the provincial intelligence chief, and his 20-year old son.
The two attacks may signal the onset of a Taliban assassination campaign against senior military and police officials in southern Afghanistan. In both attacks, Taliban bombers clearly had inside intelligence on how to penetrate police headquarters and locate senior officials.
Matt Dupee contributed to this report.
4 Comments
we really need a surge ASAP
Juice,
There will be a big offensive this winter when the terrorists are trapped in Afghanistan by the snowed-in passes along the border, but as long as there is a safe haven in Pakistan this problem will begin again next spring.
I do not deny that more troops will help… I am just wary of hasty decisions.
Our gains in Iraq are fragile and if we withdraw too quickly in order to send more troops to Afghanistan then the fighting in Iraq could erupt once more.
What I would really look forward to is Iraqi troops in Afghanistan. What a powerful boost that would be and a demoralizing blow to Al Qaeda
http://www.nysun.com/foreign/help-against-bin-laden-is-proffered/79524/
A winter offensive would definitely give us the advantage. I remember a few years back reading about a combat suit perfect for winter conditions, no matter how cold it was. There was a quote from an officer, “We’re hoping for a lot of snow this winter.” or something similar. And the Taliban would have a tough time fighting back, in fact they could suffer more casualties from the cold than coalition forces if they try to fight. So it’s the perfect time to strike.
And here’s how the Taliban called it:
And here’s how the Taliban is describing the attack: “Sunday afternoon 07-09-2008, 2 courageous Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Qari Muhammad wali and Abdul mateen of same province side “Allahu Akbar” and rammed themselves inside the police headquarter of Kandahar city, in which 6 rangers vehicles were completely destroyed and 27 puppet police officers were killed 43 wounded. the headquarter was damaged. We ask Allah to accept our brother among martyrs in Eelleyeen (high rank in the paradise). All praise and gratitude are due to Allah. Reported by Qari Muhammad Yousuf”