Militants overlook Omar's instructions
18 August, 2012
KABUL: The anti-government militants fighting Afghan security forces and the NATO-led troops have intensified indiscriminate offensives in Ramadan, which also harm the civilians in spite of Mullah Omar's order to spare non-combatants. In the latest such attacks for which the Taliban outfit has claimed responsibility, Taliban launched attacks using hand grenades, injuring 11 civilians in Khost province 150 km southeast of the capital city Kabul. The militants threw a hand grenade on a group of workers near the entrance gate of a U.S. base in Khost city the capital of Khost province on Wednesday wounding 11 people two of them in critical condition, provincial police chief Sardar Mohammad Zazai said. "A group of daily wagers were waiting for access to the base to work inside, but a man hurled a grenade injuring 11 people and all the injured were shifted to a provincial capital hospital where two of the injured were in critical condition," Zazai told Xinhua. Meantime, in a sharp reaction the Taliban claimed of responsibility. Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in talks with media via telephone from unknown location said that the Taliban had already warned people working for the foreign troops to stop service or face the music; therefore the Mujahidin (holy warriors) punished them. The attack happened just days after Taliban elusive leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, according to media reports has called upon his fighters to prevent attacks on civilians during Eidul Fatar holidays, the second largest religious festival in Afghanistan and other Muslim countries. Mullah Omar who has escaped the U.S. manhunt over the past 11 years, in the statement urged his fighters to gain support of the people by considering the Islamic values of Ramadan and Eidul Fatar probably falling on Saturday or Sunday depending on moon sight. In a related incident, up to 18 people including 17 civilians and a police were injured in a bomb explosion in Herat city the capital city of Herat province 640 km west of Kabul on Wednesday, police confirmed. "An explosive device planted on a bicycle was detonated at around 3:30 p.m. local time Wednesday in Guzari Lelamiha area of the city, injuring 18 people including a police," a police officer told Xinhua but declined to be identified. The blast took place when the people were shopping for Eidul Fatar holidays. Taliban outfit has yet to comment. However, the source put the attack on Taliban. Twenty five people including four police were killed and 50 others including seven police sustained injuries as a group of six suicide bombers targeted Zaranj city, the capital of southwestern Nimroz province 790 km southwest of Kabul on Tuesday afternoon, Interior Ministry confirmed in a statement and blamed Taliban for the attack. End.
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