Kandahar local officials said that three civilians were killed and six others injured in a Taliban suicide attack targeting NATO troops near the Kandahar airport on Saturday morning. Officials said there were no military casualties in the attack, but the Taliban claimed a number of coalition soldiers were killed.
The incident took place at 10:00am near the airport in Kandahar city, when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive laden car, killing a woman and two children, said Jawid Faisal, the spokesman of the Provincial Governor.
"The suicide bomber wanted to target a truck of NATO troops, but no soldier was hurt in the attack," Mr. Faisal said. "Unfortunately a woman, a boy and a girl were killed in the attack and six others were injured."
Mr. Faisal added that the victims have been rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency care.
Meanwhile, Qari Yousuf Ahmad, the Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack and claimed that a number of foreign troops were killed in the attack.
The attack comes a day after two vehicles filled with explosives were detonated in front of the U.S. Consulate in Herat and five assailants proceeded to lay siege on the consulate with heavy and light gunfire. Although the Taliban claimed attack was eventually subdued by Afghan and U.S. forces, it left a number of civilian and security personnel casualties and heavy structural damage in its wake.
Reports regarding the exact number of victims from the attack on Friday have varied. According to General Taj Muhammad Jahed, Commander of the 207 Zafar Battalion of Herat, the two Afghan officers guarding the gate were killed and five others injured. But information coming out of the nearby hospital indicated differently.
"As a result of today's [Friday's] incident at the American Consulate, there are a total of twenty injured and one dead," said Muhammad Rafiq Sherzai, spokesman of Hawzawi Hospital. "Two of the injured individuals are in critical condition and under close observation at the hospital."
The assault began at 5:30am and the insurgents engaged in a gun-battle with consulate security personnel and the Afghan forces for nearly two hours until they were finally shot and killed. The scene was reportedly secured by 7:30am.
The Taliban tends to launch attacks in the early morning hours reportedly in hopes of security and government officials suffering the greatest harm and regular Afghan citizens the least. Nevertheless, citizen casualties are often the highest after such attacks.