Suicide blast near NATO convoy in southern Afghanistan
(8 Mar 2007) SHOTLIST 1. Wide of blast site 2. Wide of security at blast site 3. Fire engine passing by 4. Security at blast site 5. Various of blast site 6. Various of Canadian convoy passing by 7. Fire brigade passing by 8. Mid Canadian convoy 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Canadian Forces Spokesman (name unavailable): "There were no Canadian casualties, there was a truck that was heavily damaged and you can see it back there. There was an Afghan casualty who was a child, and it's very unfortunate." 10. Canadian armoured personnel carrier STORYLINE A suicide bomber blew himself up on Thursday near a NATO convoy in southern Afghanistan, injuring five civilians including three children, police said. The suicide bombing occurred near a taxi stand west of Kandahar city, said the provincial Police chief. He said the blast wounded five civilian bystanders, three of them children. NATO officials did not immediately have more details He added there were no NATO casualties. Earlier in the day, another suicide bomber attacked a NATO convoy in Kandahar province's Zhari district but there were no alliance casualties, said a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force. The attacks occurred as about 4,500 NATO and 1,000 Afghan troops launched the alliance's largest-ever offensive in Afghanistan on Tuesday in neighbouring Helmand province. The new mission aims to secure the lawless province, which is the world's biggest opium poppy-growing region. One NATO soldier died on Thursday as a result of wounds sustained during combat operations in southern Afghanistan, a NATO statement said, without giving the soldier's nationality. NATO troops, aiming to put pressure on suspected Taliban in the north of Helmand, targeted militant strongholds and ammunition storage sites in Garmser district, the alliance said. The troops clashed with suspected militants on Thursday but halted the confrontation after the militants moved into a civilian area, NATO said. There were no reports of NATO or Afghan casualties during that clash. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
