Kabul Suicide Attack Today: Taliban Bombers Kill 7 Afghan Soldiers And Injure 21 After US-Afghan Security Pact Signing

By Staff Reporter | Oct 01, 2014 01:50 PM EDT

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A day after the signing of a key US-Afghan security pact, conflict broke out in Kabul early Wednesday when Taliban suicide bombers attacked two buses carrying Afghan soldiers. Authorities reported that the suicide attack today killed at least 7 Afghan soldiers and left 21 others injured.

The Kabul suicide attack today came after a security pact was signed between US and Afghanistan allowing US forces to remain in the country until at the end of 2014 to support Afghans as they took over the battle against the Taliban insurgency. The blasts, for which the Taliban rebels claimed responsibility, have injured two civilians after a second bus was struck elsewhere in the city.

According to the Kabul's Criminal Investigation Police Chief Mohammad Farid Afzali, the first suicide attack struck a bus with Afghan National Army Officers, killing seven and injuring 15 in West Kabul while the second assault today was an upfront bus blast in northeastern Kabul wounding several army personnel.

The security pact was ratified by the newly-sworn Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed accountability for the Kabul suicide attacks today. The insurgents claimed responsibility for both attacks on social media site, Twitter. They said that a furtherance of a belligerence which took place in summer will occur. In a US-negotiated unity deal President Ghani shared power with next best person Abdullah Abdullah who becomes chief executive. The Taliban has called the treaty a "US-orchestrated sham".

In line with Kabul suicide attack today, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the security pact with the US has only motivated the terrorist insurgency and given them more determination and confidence to combat the adversaries. He said, "They need to give more sacrifices to make their homeland free." In a separate media statement, the Taliban condemned the Bilateral Security Agreement as an American conspiracy and said that such counterfeit documents will certainly not restrain the lawful jihad or holy war.

In Kabul today, as military ambulances took the victims to hospital, dozens of Afghan security forces barricaded the suicide attack scenes, which were beleaguered with broken glass. The incident stoked worries to Afghan residents.

In conjunction with a detached pact signed with NATO, approximately 10,000 American troops and several thousand more from other NATO nations will stay to train and instruct Afghan forces after the global warfare operation ends on December 31, under the security treaty. Over a decade after US forces helped knock down the Taliban in the wake of the September 11 attacks, Afghanistan is still at war with the Islamic militant group, which frequently orchestrates suicide attacks, primarily aiming security forces.

The US-Afghan pact was protracted in the making. US officials had first cautioned their Afghan counterparts that if the security concurrence was not signed by the end of 2013, the Pentagon would have to start preparing for a full departure of troops from Afghanistan. But when the year ended, the White House enthused back the deadline, saying then-President Hamid Karzai needed to sign off within weeks. Karzai startled US officials by ultimately not signing the treaty and would instead leave that task for his successor.

On the other hand, the results of the race to replace Karzai took a prolonged resolution. The final conclusion was done on Monday when Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai sworn as Afghanistan's subsequent elected president. He signed the security pact Tuesday; nearly one year after the White House's initial deadline.

The US-Afghan security pact instigated Kabul's suicide attack today by Taliban insurgents that resulted to 7 deaths and 21 injuries. Ongoing conflicts and more assaults will be expected by the nation after suffering continued duress for years.

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