Forum Views () 
Forum Replies ()  
 
 
Read more with google mobile :
At least 20 killed in suicide bombing in east Afghanistan
|  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
		
Edition:
		
U.S.
		
		
	
	
		
			
				
					
					
						
					
				
				
					
					
						
					
				
				
					
					
						
					
				
			
		
	
	
	
		
			
				
				
			
		
	
 
	
 
		
 
	
		 
		 
		
	        
		
	
	
    	
		 
		 
		
	        
		
 
	
 
	
		
Article
    
Comments (0)
	
	
    	
		 
		 
		
	        
		
 
	
	
    	
		 
		 
		
	        
		
 
	
		 
		 
		
	        
		
                         
Full Focus
Photos of the week
Our top photos from the past week.  Full Article 
                
	  
 
 
 
	
Follow Reuters
		
		
Facebook
		
Twitter
		
RSS
		
YouTube
		
		
	
               
      
		
		
				
					Read
			
		
		
		
New York governor signs law approving gay marriage
| 
		
	2:23am EDT 
	
Loss of Libya oil bigger disruption than Katrina: IEA
	24 Jun 2011 
	
Obama takes flak for tapping emergency oil reserves
	23 Jun 2011 
	
Afghan MPs hit back over court ruling
	8:51am EDT 
	
Sarkozy says Europeans "doing the work" in Libya
| 
		
	24 Jun 2011 
	
	
		
		
      
               
      
      
               
      
		
		
				
					Discussed
			
		
		
		
214
			Biden deficit-cut talks hit impasse: Rep. Cantor
137
			CBO sees government benefits swamping U.S. economy
73
			Fragile economy pushed Obama to tap oil reserves
	
		
		
      
               
      
		
		
				
					
					Watched
					
			
		
		
                                 	
					  
                      
     	
			
A Tokyo-Paris flight in under three hours on the horizon
		Fri, Jun 24 2011
                                 	
					  
                      
     	
			
Hefner's revenge; Ryan Reynolds stops traffic
		Fri, Jun 17 2011
                                 	
					  
                      
     	
			
Train and truck in fatal smash
		Fri, Jun 24 2011
		
		
       
	
		
		
		 
		 
		
		
	
	
At least 20 killed in suicide bombing in east Afghanistan
	
		
        
	     
	        
                
			Tweet
              		
                     
					
                          
                 	
	            
Share this
	            
	
Email
			
Print
			
	    
	
               
      
 
      
               
      
	
Related News
	
		
		
Afghan court overturns 25 percent of parliament poll
Thu, Jun 23 2011
Afghans wary of U.S., but for many better the devil you know
Thu, Jun 23 2011
Analysis: U.S. troop cut may also bring risky cuts in Afghan aid
Thu, Jun 23 2011
Obama moves toward exit from Afghanistan
Wed, Jun 22 2011
Bombs kill 25 at local Iraqi governor's house
Tue, Jun 21 2011
	
      
	
Analysis & Opinion
	
		
Economy revival? Bond barons say spending is the answer
	
Embedded in Afghanistan
	
	
               
      
    
Related Topics
        
            
                
World »
                
Afghanistan »
                
United Nations »
                
        
    
      
               
      
 
      
               
      
 
                     
      
 
 
        
By Obaid Ormur
        
        PULE ALAM, Afghanistan | 
        Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:02am EDT
        
    
PULE ALAM, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber killed at least 20 people, and possibly as many as 35, in an attack at a hospital in a remote district of eastern Afghanistan on Saturday that damaged its maternity ward, officials said.
Estimates of the casualties, which included patients and medical staff, varied widely in chaotic scenes outside the hospital in the remote Azra district of eastern Logar province, which is just south of Kabul.
Dozens more were wounded in one of the worst attacks this year.
Deen Mohammad Darwish, a spokesman for the Logar provincial government, said as many as 35 people were killed, although Afghanistan's Interior Ministry put the death toll at 20.
"The exact target is still not clear," Interior minister deputy spokesman Najib Nikzad said.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied responsibility and said the Islamist insurgents never attack hospitals.
President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack in which he said "tens of civilians" were killed. The United Nations said the maternity ward was hit in the bombing.
"This is a despicable attack against civilians who were seeking medical care, as well as visiting family members and health workers," Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. chief in Afghanistan, said in a statement.
Tensions have flared over civilian casualties, with insurgents and the Afghan government alike criticizing NATO-led forces for killing innocent Afghans while hunting for militants.
United Nations figures however show that insurgents are responsible for three-quarters of civilian deaths.
Military and civilian casualties hit record levels in 2010, the most violent year of the war since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in late 2001.
This year is following a similar trend, with violence growing across Afghanistan since the Taliban announced a spring offensive at the beginning of May.
U.S. commanders had already said they expected a rise in attacks as insurgents hit back after U.S. and NATO forces made gains during operations in the Taliban heartland in the south over the past 18 months.
The United Nations said two weeks ago that May had been the deadliest month for civilians since it began compiling statistics four years ago.
It said it had documented 368 "conflict-related" civilian deaths, 82 percent of them caused by insurgents.
The latest violence comes as seven areas across the country prepare to take over security responsibilities from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) fighting an increasingly unpopular war that has dragged on for 10 years.
That will coincide with the start in July of a gradual drawdown of U.S. troops. U.S. and NATO troops plan to hand over security responsibility for all of Afghanistan by the end of 2014, although critics warn the handover date is premature.
While most of the ISAF gains have been in Taliban strongholds in the south, the insurgency in eastern provinces like Logar and Kunar near the border with Pakistan is much more fragmented.
Taliban fighters often slip across the border from safe havens in Pakistan's largely lawless northwest but other groups like the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network also operate extensively in the area.
(Additional reporting by Hamid Shalizi; Writing by Alistair Scrutton; Editing by Sugita Katyal)
			
World
			
Afghanistan
			
United Nations
			
	
		
        
	     
	        
                
                   		Tweet this
					
                
                       	Link this
                 	
	            
Share this
	            
                       	Digg this
	                
	            
Email
			
Reprints
            
	    
	
 
	
 
	 
    
     
    
    
    
     
    
    
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment on reuters.com.
    
Add yours using the box above.
    
Social Stream (What's this?)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
		
	
		
	
		
	
		
	
		
	
		
	
		
	
 
 
	
	
 
 
	
 
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
© Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters
Editorial Editions:
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
 
Reuters
	
Contact Us
	
Advertise With Us
	
Help
	
Journalism Handbook
	
Archive
	
Site Index
	
Video Index
	
Reader Feedback
 
	
Mobile
	
Newsletters
	
RSS
	
Podcasts
	
Widgets
	
Your View
	
Analyst Research
Thomson Reuters
	
Copyright
	
Disclaimer
	
Privacy
	
Professional Products
	
Professional Products Support
	
Financial Products
	
About Thomson Reuters
	
Careers
Online Products
	
Acquisitions Monthly
	
Buyouts
	
Venture Capital Journal
	
International Financing Review
	
Project Finance International
	
PEhub.com
	
PE Week
	
FindLaw
	
Super Lawyers Attorney Rating Service
 Reuters on Facebook
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
	  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other News on Saturday, 25 June 2011 Hezbollah says finds three spies within group
|  
Venezuela's Chavez reappears on Twitter from Cuba
|  
Pakistan army rejects report on bin Laden's cellphone
|  
Argentine heirs hope DNA test ends identity fight
|  
Auction to Sell Princess Diana's Dresses  
OK-Rod with possible trade: Mets closer also willing to be set-up man  
EU leaders give conditional go-ahead to Croatia entry
|  
U.S. economy grew at tepid 1.9% during first quarter  
Analysis: Mexican ex-presidents lead debate on legalizing drugs
|  
EPA criticized for overriding state discretion on water quality  
"Columbo" star Peter Falk dies at 83  
Analysis: Do leaderless revolts contain seeds of own failure?
|  
Jim Renner in front by one stroke at Travelers Championship  
Georgia-based group erects controversial anti-abortion billboards in Oakland, California  
Curtis Stone, Lindsay Price expecting their first baby  
Lakers' Ron Artest files for name change; seeks "Metta World Peace"  
White House readies for tough choices on budget talks with lawmakers  
Google says probing search companies market practices
|  
Hackers attack Electronic Arts website
|  
Proxy advisor urges RIM CEO/chairman roles be split
|  
Obama launches technology partnership to spur jobs
|  
Kleiner Perkins weighing fund targeting the cloud
|  
Venezuela's Chavez reappears on Twitter from Cuba
|  
Columbo actor Peter Falk dead at 83
|  
Hang on Snooki. MTV denies recasting Jersey Shore
|  
Cars 2 star Eddie Izzard plans political career
|  
Sad songs bring joy to bluegrass star Alison Krauss
|  
Syrian forces kill 15 protesters, activists say
|  
Released Chinese artist-activist Ai's associates freed
|  
Amateur Cantlay seizes lead at Travelers Championship; shoots remarkable 60  
Yani Tseng maintains one shot lead at Wegman's LPGA championship  
Egyptians injured in clashes over Mubarak's fate
|  
Keith Olbermann speaks out on Gay Marriage  
Peter Frampton files for divorce  
Not ready for return: Yanks, Jeter play it safe with shortstop's calf ailment  
Tunisia joins international war crimes court
|  
John Huston shares lead at Dick's Sporting Goods Open in senior debut  
Vietnam to switch to lethal injection for death penalty
|  
Usher wants Pippa Middleton for his Lingerie Line  
Phils pitcher Roy Oswalt faces uncertain future due to injury  
Royal Wedding Raises Over a Million for Charity  
Google investors fear long battle against Feds
|  
Heidi Klum Bares It All in Project Runway Ad  
Foursquare raises $50 million in new round
|  
Has Renren suffered enough from China stocks phobia?
|  
Missy Elliott says Graves' disease not so grave
|  
Jerry Lewis briefly hospitalized in Sydney
|  
Bollywood stars cast spell over Toronto
|  
NATO says hit military targets in Libya's Brega
|  
At least 20 killed in suicide bombing in east Afghanistan
|  
Egypt court sentences ex-trade minister to 5 years in jail
|  
Afghan MPs hit back over court ruling
|  
Five Pakistani policemen killed in Taliban attack
|  
Oilers add playmaker, scorer Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as No. 1 overall draft pick  
Russian oligarch elected head of pro-Medvedev party
|  
Ryan Couture suffers upset loss at Strikeforce Challangers  
Two Puntland soldiers decapitated  
Arkansas turkey hunt remains closed; appeal rejected on procedural grounds  
Analysis: More history ahead for Patrick Cantlay at Travelers Championship?  
Ex-Ukraine PM says court action targets opposition
|  
Takuma Sato first Japanese driver on IndyCar pole at Iowa  
Joey Logano road-races way to Infineon pole  
Dozens march for freedom in Saudi Arabia: YouTube
|  
Venus forges rematch vs. Pironkova; Wozniacki advances, Roddick falls  
Armenia, Azerbaijan blame each other for Karabakh failure
|  
U2 pass festival test, critics say, despite tax row
|  
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro  
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found  
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever  
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production  
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time  
AMD to Start Production of piledriver  
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs  
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia  
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air  
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch  
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent  
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up  
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform  
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis  
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets  
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights