Suicide car bombing targets NATO base

At least 25 Afghan soldiers were injured when a car bomb exploded on the morning of October 17 at a joint base of the Afghan army and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Zurmat district of Paktia province, eastern Afghanistan.

According to local authorities, the incident occurred at 7:30 a.m. (local time), when a suspect drove a car carrying a bomb into the base, injuring 25 soldiers and causing serious damage to the base.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Paktia provincial government said several gunmen with bombs strapped to their bodies tried to break into the base after the explosion but were killed by soldiers.

Afghan security personnel investigate at the scene of the bomb explosion.
(Source: AFP/VNA)

Taliban insurgents later claimed responsibility for the attack.

On the same day, the Afghan Interior Ministry said that the country's police, in coordination with NATO forces, killed eight Taliban insurgents and arrested 23 other gunmen in raids conducted across the country over the past 24 hours.

According to a press release from the ministry, Afghan police, with support from the army and NATO coalition, have carried out seven operations against militants in the provinces of Balkh, Sar-e-Pul, Nangarhar, Helmand, Ghazni, Paktia and Parwan./.

(According to VNA) - DT