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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Nato convoy rammed by Taliban suicide bomber | Nato convoy rammed by Taliban suicide bomber |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A Taliban suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into a Nato convoy near the US embassy in Kabul, killing two US and one Polish soldier as well as wounding at least 13 civilians. | |
| The attack was mounted in morning rush-hour traffic outside the supreme court and on a main road from the airport to the heavily fortified embassy. | The attack was mounted in morning rush-hour traffic outside the supreme court and on a main road from the airport to the heavily fortified embassy. |
| "We can confirm three International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) members died as a result of an enemy attack in Kabul today," the Nato coalition said. | "We can confirm three International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) members died as a result of an enemy attack in Kabul today," the Nato coalition said. |
| "It is Isaf policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities." | "It is Isaf policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities." |
| The blast, on a route used daily by Nato convoys, shook buildings and sent a plume of smoke high above the city. | The blast, on a route used daily by Nato convoys, shook buildings and sent a plume of smoke high above the city. |
| One of the first people on the scene was Sayed Mustafa Saadat, 27, a member of the Afghan national rugby team who was returning from a training session. | One of the first people on the scene was Sayed Mustafa Saadat, 27, a member of the Afghan national rugby team who was returning from a training session. |
| "I rushed to help survivors. I picked up a local man who had a broken leg and was badly burned," he told AFP. "I carried him all the way to the hospital, it took about 10 minutes, but I don't know if he survived." | "I rushed to help survivors. I picked up a local man who had a broken leg and was badly burned," he told AFP. "I carried him all the way to the hospital, it took about 10 minutes, but I don't know if he survived." |
| Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanakzai said at least 13 civilians were wounded and 17 civilian cars were damaged in the explosion. | Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanakzai said at least 13 civilians were wounded and 17 civilian cars were damaged in the explosion. |
| Nato has 41,000 troops in Afghanistan, with about 29,000 from the US and 300 from Poland. All Nato combat soldiers will withdraw by December after 13 years of fighting the Taliban, with a follow-on mission of about 12,000 troops likely to stay on into 2015 on training and support duties. | Nato has 41,000 troops in Afghanistan, with about 29,000 from the US and 300 from Poland. All Nato combat soldiers will withdraw by December after 13 years of fighting the Taliban, with a follow-on mission of about 12,000 troops likely to stay on into 2015 on training and support duties. |
| The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the attack via a recognised Twitter account. "[A] powerful explosion destroyed 1 military vehicle, killing/wounding a number of American terrorists," said Taliban spokesman Abdulqahar Balkhi. | The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the attack via a recognised Twitter account. "[A] powerful explosion destroyed 1 military vehicle, killing/wounding a number of American terrorists," said Taliban spokesman Abdulqahar Balkhi. |
| Afghanistan is stuck in a political stalemate over election results, with the two presidential candidates in talks to resolve the prolonged dispute about who won the 14 June poll to replace President Hamid Karzai. | Afghanistan is stuck in a political stalemate over election results, with the two presidential candidates in talks to resolve the prolonged dispute about who won the 14 June poll to replace President Hamid Karzai. |
| Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah have been wrangling over a power-sharing deal after the vote was engulfed in allegations of fraud that have threatened to spark instability as Nato troops pull out. | Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah have been wrangling over a power-sharing deal after the vote was engulfed in allegations of fraud that have threatened to spark instability as Nato troops pull out. |
| Ghani, who is widely tipped to emerge as the new president, won the runoff vote according to preliminary results, but Abdullah has consistently said he was the victim of state-backed ballot-rigging. | Ghani, who is widely tipped to emerge as the new president, won the runoff vote according to preliminary results, but Abdullah has consistently said he was the victim of state-backed ballot-rigging. |
| The standoff is clouding hopes that the US-led military and civilian aid effort since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 would leave Afghanistan as a democratic country. | The standoff is clouding hopes that the US-led military and civilian aid effort since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 would leave Afghanistan as a democratic country. |
| With the government paralysed for months, it has also emboldened the Taliban insurgents, weakened the fragile economy and put future international military and aid support at risk. | With the government paralysed for months, it has also emboldened the Taliban insurgents, weakened the fragile economy and put future international military and aid support at risk. |
| Kabul has been regularly hit by complex Taliban attacks on the airport, luxury hotels, restaurants and foreign compounds. | Kabul has been regularly hit by complex Taliban attacks on the airport, luxury hotels, restaurants and foreign compounds. |
| In August, four civilians were killed in a similar attack on a Nato convoy in the city. No soldiers died in that blast, which wounded at least 35 bystanders. | In August, four civilians were killed in a similar attack on a Nato convoy in the city. No soldiers died in that blast, which wounded at least 35 bystanders. |
| Separately, Isaf said one coalition soldier was shot dead on Monday by a man wearing an Afghan national army uniform. | Separately, Isaf said one coalition soldier was shot dead on Monday by a man wearing an Afghan national army uniform. |
| "Insider attacks" have undermined relations between foreign soldiers and the Afghan military, which is being trained to take on the Taliban alone after Nato's exit. | "Insider attacks" have undermined relations between foreign soldiers and the Afghan military, which is being trained to take on the Taliban alone after Nato's exit. |