KABUL – At least one person was killed and dozens wounded when a bombexploded close to the largest US military base in Afghanistan Wednesday,damaging homes and a hospital under construction near Bagram Airfield,officials said.
The attack — which has not yet been claimed — comes as Washington resumedtalks with the Taliban on Saturday, three months after President DonaldTrump abruptly halted diplomatic efforts that could end America’s longestwar.
“The explosion happened in front of the gate of the Korean hospital whichis almost adjacent to Bagram airfield,” Parwan governor spokeswoman WahidaShahkar said, referring to the US airbase located north of Kabul, in Parwanprovince.
The hospital was not in operation at the time, but Bagram district governorAbdul Shukoor Qudoosi said at least one woman had been killed and 60civilians wounded when the blast damaged nearby homes.
Qudoosi described the blast as a “powerful” suicide car bomb, though thathad not been confirmed by other officials, and said it was followed byfighting with armed assailants.
Mahfooz Walizada, the Parwan police chief, also said one woman had beenkilled and put the wounded toll higher, at around 100 people.
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There were no US or coalition casualties and “Bagram remained securethroughout the attack”, NATO’s Resolute Support mission said.
“The attack was quickly contained and repelled… but the future medicalfacility was badly damaged,” it added in a statement.
President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Bagram on November 28 tocelebrate Thanksgiving with his troops and meet with Afghan PresidentAshraf Ghani.
On Monday the Washington Post reported on thousands of US governmentdocuments which showed that senior American officials had insisted progresswas being made in Afghanistan despite clear evidence the war had becomeunwinnable. -APP/AFP
