Nadahan wedding bombing
Encyclopedia
The Nadahan wedding bombing was a suicide attack
on a wedding
party
, which occurred on 9 June 2010 at around 21:00 local time (16:30 GMT
) in the village of Nadahan in Arghandab District
of the Kandahar Province
, Afghanistan
. The attack killed at least 40 people and wounded at least 77 others, making it one of the worst suicide attacks of the year.
One source described the attack as "the most lethal attack in the south in recent memory".
At least three police officers from Afghanistan were involved in the wedding. Others suggested the attack was intended for 17 of the guests who were members of an anti-Taliban guard group, which had once been encouraged by the American Special Operations Forces before they gave up on it.
Blood donations were requested via television. The coffins of the dead were lined adjacent to the mortuary.
A military spokesperson representing the United States said the attack had not been an airstrike carried out by his country. He dismissed speculation to the contrary as "Taliban misinformation".
stated his condemnation and requested "a thorough investigation". Karzai, in the presence of David Cameron
who was visiting Afghanistan for the first official time, labelled it "a crime of massive inhuman proportions".
Tooryalai Wesa
, governor of the Kandahar Province
, spoke at a news conference in Nadahan after the attack had happened and demonstrated a piece of metal he had found which he said resembled a suicide bomb.
United Nations
Special Representative
for Afghanistan Staffan de Mistura
said it was an "outrageous act" and that "to specifically target people who were gathering at a moment of happiness to celebrate a wedding shows a total disregard for civilian life".
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
on a wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
party
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
, which occurred on 9 June 2010 at around 21:00 local time (16:30 GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
) in the village of Nadahan in 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....
of the Kandahar Province
Kandahar Province
Kandahar or Qandahar is one of the largest of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in southern Afghanistan, between Helmand, Oruzgan and Zabul provinces. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, which is located on the Arghandab River. The province has a population of nearly...
, 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...
. The attack killed at least 40 people and wounded at least 77 others, making it one of the worst suicide attacks of the year.
One source described the attack as "the most lethal attack in the south in recent memory".
Explosion
The enormous explosion occurred in a men-only area of the wedding party. They were all sitting down and eating at the time of the event. A white-clothed boy under the age of 13 wandered in and approached within 15 feet of the dinner tables before fiddling with the bomb attached to his vest, causing a chaotic scene. There was a ball of fire and some smoke. The women were elsewhere, inside another building. Some of those killed were children. The groom was among the wounded. His brother died. His bride remained unharmed throughout the incident.At least three police officers from Afghanistan were involved in the wedding. Others suggested the attack was intended for 17 of the guests who were members of an anti-Taliban guard group, which had once been encouraged by the American Special Operations Forces before they gave up on it.
Blood donations were requested via television. The coffins of the dead were lined adjacent to the mortuary.
Investigation
A group of investigators was sent to the village by Afghanistan's Interior Ministry.Perpetrator
NATO issued a statement claiming none of their soldiers were behind it. The Taliban were instead blamed by the NATO troops; however, the Taliban has stated that they were not responsible for the attack, even condemning it as "a brutal act". Deputy commander of NATO forces, Lt. Gen. Nick Parker, described it as "ruthless violence" and claimed these were "sickening and indiscriminate tactics to try to intimidate the citizens of Afghanistan".A military spokesperson representing the United States said the attack had not been an airstrike carried out by his country. He dismissed speculation to the contrary as "Taliban misinformation".
Response
President Hamid KarzaiHamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
stated his condemnation and requested "a thorough investigation". Karzai, in the presence of David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
who was visiting Afghanistan for the first official time, labelled it "a crime of massive inhuman proportions".
Tooryalai Wesa
Tooryalai Wesa
Tooryalai Wesa is the current Governor of Kandahar Province, after replacing General Rahmatullah Raufi in December 2008. Tooryalai Wesa was born in village Kohak in District Arghandab and grew up in Kandahar...
, governor of the Kandahar Province
Kandahar Province
Kandahar or Qandahar is one of the largest of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in southern Afghanistan, between Helmand, Oruzgan and Zabul provinces. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, which is located on the Arghandab River. The province has a population of nearly...
, spoke at a news conference in Nadahan after the attack had happened and demonstrated a piece of metal he had found which he said resembled a suicide bomb.
United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Special Representative
Special Representative of the Secretary-General
A Special Representative of the Secretary-General is a highly respected expert who has been appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to represent her/him in meetings with heads of state on critical human rights issues...
for Afghanistan Staffan de Mistura
Staffan de Mistura
Staffan de Mistura is a long-serving Italian-Swedish diplomat. After a 36 year career in various UN agencies, United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon appointed him as his Special Representative for Iraq on 11 September 2007...
said it was an "outrageous act" and that "to specifically target people who were gathering at a moment of happiness to celebrate a wedding shows a total disregard for civilian life".