Deadly Taliban attack in western Afghanistan

At least four killed and 33 wounded as armed men attack ISAF building in western city of Herat. Last Modified: 30 May 2011 08:23

Attacks have taken place in cities across Afghanistan in recent weeks [AFP] At least four people have been killed after armed men launched multiple attacks in the western Afghanistan city of Herat, officials said. Al Jazeera's Qais Azimy, reporting from Kabul, said that in one of the attacks "four men attacked the provincial reconstruction team of the ISAF building" in Herat on Monday. A second explosion targeted an area packed with people and traffic about two kilometres from the base. He said hospital sources confirmed that at least four were killed and 33 others wounded in the attacks. Gunfire followed the attacks and the fighting is continuing, sources said. Taliban claim "Among the wounded we have four children and a woman. The rest are men. Three of the injured are in critical condition,"said Ghulam Sayed Rashid, the Herat provincial health director. The blasts came just weeks before the usually peaceful historic city is to become one of the first places in the war-torn country to transition from NATO to Afghan security control nearly 10 years after the 2001 US-led invasion. Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with its spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, telling AFP:"Our mujahideen are working on the operation in Herat". Reuters news agency quoted a witness as saying that he saw the bodies of several troops wearing foreign uniforms and saw smoke rising near the Italian-run joint civilian and military provincial reconstruction team (PRT) base. A second Reuters witness said it appeared an unknown number of fighters had entered a seven-storey building near the PRT and began opening fire on the base from there. Majority Italians Italian troops form the bulk of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the area but there was no immediate confirmation of casualties from ISAF. Italy has about 3,880 troops serving in Afghanistan, the majority of them in the west. A spokesman for ISAF in Kabul said the force was aware of reports of the attack and was looking into them. Television pictures from Herat showed at least two vehicles destroyed by explosions and troops scurrying for cover. Violence has spiked across Afghanistan since the Taliban announced at the beginning of May the start of a spring offensive. Attacks have taken place in cities across Afghanistan in recent weeks, with the Afghan government and security forces and foreign military targets singled out in increasingly bold assaults.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies