2008 Kandahar bombing
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Kandahar bombing of February 17, 2008 in Kandahar
, Afghanistan
, was an attack targeting a crowd of people watching a dog-fighting competition. With more than 100 killed, it was the deadliest attack on Afghan soil since 2001.
The target of the attack was believed to have been a local police commander who was killed in the blast, Abdul Hakim Jan. He was reported to be known in the area for the strong stand he took against Taliban forces. "He was a big wall for us, no one else can take his place," Ahmedullah, a 50-year-old farmer in the neighboring Arghandab District
. "Now I guess that Arghandab can become a station of the Taliban. They were scared of our commander Abdul Hakim, now we don't have any other person like him in the whole district."
Kandahar Gov. Asadullah Khalid said he'd tried to warn the police commander away from the event, saying he, the Governor, had known there were bombers active in the area.
"A Taliban spokesman calling himself Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told Canwest News Service
that his group did not co-ordinate the first [Kandahar] suicide strike, but took responsibility for" a second the next day in Spin Boldak
.
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, was an attack targeting a crowd of people watching a dog-fighting competition. With more than 100 killed, it was the deadliest attack on Afghan soil since 2001.
The target of the attack was believed to have been a local police commander who was killed in the blast, Abdul Hakim Jan. He was reported to be known in the area for the strong stand he took against Taliban forces. "He was a big wall for us, no one else can take his place," Ahmedullah, a 50-year-old farmer in the neighboring Arghandab District
Arghandab District
Arghandab is a district in the central part of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. It borders Panjwai and Khakrez districts to the west, Shah Wali Kot District to the north and east and Kandahar District to the east and south....
. "Now I guess that Arghandab can become a station of the Taliban. They were scared of our commander Abdul Hakim, now we don't have any other person like him in the whole district."
Kandahar Gov. Asadullah Khalid said he'd tried to warn the police commander away from the event, saying he, the Governor, had known there were bombers active in the area.
"A Taliban spokesman calling himself Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told Canwest News Service
Canwest News Service
Postmedia News is a national news agency with correspondents in Canada, Europe, and the United States and is part of the Canadian newspaper chain owned by Postmedia Network Inc.-History:...
that his group did not co-ordinate the first [Kandahar] suicide strike, but took responsibility for" a second the next day in Spin Boldak
Spin Boldak
Spin Boldak or Spin Buldak is a border town in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, right next to the Durand Line border with Pakistan. It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar to the north, and with Chaman and Quetta in Pakistan to the south. Spin Boldak has the second major...
.
External links
- In pictures: Afghanistan blast, BBC News