Terror attack on Kabul supermarket kills 9

[News_Editor]

Terror attack on Kabul supermarket kills 9

2011-01-29 00:39:02 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital of Kabul killed at least nine people on Friday, officials said. Foreigners were among the casualties.

The attack took place at a supermarket in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood of Kabul, killing nine. In addition, at least eight individuals were injured and some are in a critical condition.

Three foreigners were also killed in the suicide attack as the supermarket often attracts many tourists and is just a short distance from the British embassy. A six-year-old child and two women are among the wounded.

The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, adding that the target was a senior official of the Xe security company formerly known as Blackwater.

According to reports, a man entered a grocery store and opened fire at customers. Then, the individual suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device. The store was set ablaze and thick smoke filled the supermarket.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) joined Afghan President Karzai in condemning the killings and wounding of several Afghan and international civilians at the supermarket.

"We join President Karzai in condemning this despicable attack and its complete disregard for human life," said Rear Admiral Vic Beck, ISAF Director of Public Affairs. "This attack intentionally targeted civilians as the detonation occurred in a public location where innocent men, women and children were likely to gather."

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul also condemned the suicide bombing and remarked that insurgents once again demonstrated their lack of respect for the safety of the Afghan people.

"The United States will not be deterred in standing with our Afghan partners to defeat the terrorism that stands against them and a stable future," it said.

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