65 civilians, 5 Georgian troops injured in Bagram blasts

CHARIKAR (Pajhwok): At least 65 civilians were injured as two car bombings targeted a US military base in the Bagram district of central Parwan province on Wednesday. A firefight is still underway.

Abdul Shakoor Qudusi, the district’s administrative chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News militants attacked the military base with two car bombings at around 5:30am.

He said one the attackers crashed his explosives-packed vehicle into a wall of the military base, enabling another six militants to enter a Korean-constructed hospital.

The district chief added that two of the attackers were controlled and a firefight with four others was still underway.

About 65 civilians, including women and children, were wounded as a result of three massive car bombings. A woman succumbed to her wounds later on, he said.

According to Qudusi, many of the injured were evacuated to the civil hospital and others to a Bagram medical facility.

Toryalai, a resident of the area, told Pajhwok the explosions were very powerful. He said his wife was also injured. But he was unable to take her to hospital because the area had been cordoned off.

NATO, meanwhile, denied the militants had attacked a convoy of foreign forces. It said a hospital was targeted.

“The attack was quickly contained and repelled by our ANDSF and Coalition partners, but the future medical facility was badly damaged,” the Resolute Support said. 

“There were no US or Coalition casualties and Bagram remained secure throughout the attack.”

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the suicide blasts.

“A 30-minute clash also happened between the attackers and foreign forces,” Wahida Shahkar, a spokeswoman for the governor, told Reuters.

Five military servicemen of the Georgian contingent’s rapid response unit were injured as a result of the terrorist, according to Georgia Today.

The 12th Battalion soldiers — Gocha Muradashvili, Soso Kvinikadze and Roman Gununashvili, Ilia Takadze and Davit Bakhurauli — are said to be in stable condition.

sa/mud

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