Three soldiers were killed and as many injured in an attack on a patrol by a suicide bomber in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, said the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s mission in the country. The Taliban has claimed responsibility, according to Reuters.
The Resolute Support Mission cited its policy for not disclosing the nationalities of the soldiers who were killed. Those injured were an American and two Afghan National Army soldiers, the mission said.
“Three Resolute Support service members were killed by a suicide bomber during a combined, dismounted patrol with Afghan forces in eastern Afghanistan,” the mission said in a statement, reported AFP.
The early-morning attack was carried out by a solitary bomber on foot in Charikar of Parwan province, 60 km north of Kabul, said the provincial governor’s spokeswoman Wahida Shahkar. Shahkar said the suicide bomber targeted foreign forces who were on a routine foot patrol, said Reuters.
The Taliban, however, claimed it had killed “eight US invaders”. “We have killed eight US invaders in a tactic bombing,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the outfit. “The invaders had to bring three helicopter ambulances to protect their forces.”
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, led by US forces, ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014 and pulled out most of its troops. But a residual force of close to 16,000 personnel remains behind for training and counter-terrorism operations, according to AFP.
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