Just a couple of days after the new government was sworn-in, two Taliban suicide bombers on Wednesday morning detonated themselves in front of two Afghan National Army buses carrying troops, killing seven and injuring 21, reports said Wednesday.
The responsibility for the twin attacks has been claimed by Taliban. The attacks highlight how grave a challenge awaits the newly sworn-in Ashraf Ghani government as the US-led NATO troops prepare to withdraw by this year end.
According to Kabul criminal investigation police chief Mohammad Farid Afzali, the first suicide bomber targeted a bus with Afghan National Army officers in West Kabul, killing seven and wounding 15 in west Kabul, reported a news agency.
While the second attacker, exploded himself in front of a second bus in northeast Kabul, injuring more Army personnel.
The attack on National Afghan Army troops comes just a day after Afghanistan signed a Bilateral Security Agreement with the US, that will allow some 10, 000 US troops to remain in the country even after 2014 and they will train and advise the Afghan forces in tackling the security situation.
Taliban has rejected the new power-sharing Afghan government as a “sham” orchestrated by the US and the latest attack indicates the militant group’s frustration and anger at the successful signing of the BSA deal, which will retain 10, 000 US troops in the war-torn country, which is still at war with the insurgents, even as NATO ends its 13-year war with Taliban this year.
Denouncing the signing of the BSA deal between the two countries, Taliban said it betrayed the nation, its history, its people and religion.
“The new rulers of Arg (presidential palace) by signing security agreement with America in fact betrayed the religion, the nation, people and the history of the country,” Xinhua quoted Taliban statement.
