CHARIKAR (PAN): Four Afghan security personnel were killed and a helicopter destroyed during a rocket strike on the main US airbase in central
Parwan province on Tuesday, the anniversary of 9/11 attacks on the US, an official said.
The rockets were fired from western part of the airport early in the morning, provincial police chief, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akram Baikzad, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He said the rockets landed near the helicopter at the heavily-fortified airfield at a time when Afghan and foreign troops were heading to Koh-i-Safi district for a security operation.
Three intelligence operatives and a policeman were killed in the attack, which wounded four more police officials, including Parwan Highway Commander Col. Mohammad Ghayas.
With the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) yet to comment on the incident, Baikzad said he had no information about foreign troop casualties.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the fighters had fired a barrage of rockets salvos at the base, inflicting casualties on a number of American troops. Afghan soldiers were also killed and some aircraft damaged, he concluded.
A day earlier, the United States handed control of the controversial Bagram prison and its 3,000 inmates to Afghan authorities.
from Pajhwok
by Farid Tanha on Sep 11, 2012 - 14:16
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from KHAAMA:
By Sajad - Tue Sep 11, 2:05 pm
According to Afghan security officials, at least 3 people were killed following missile attacks by militants on a US military base in northern Parwan province of Afghanistan.
A spokesman for the NATO-led International coalition security forces Michael Cole confirming the report said several rockets hit
Bagram Airfield in Parwan province late Monday, destroying one helicopter and damaging several others.
An Afghan security official said the three people who were killed following the attack were members of the Afghan Intelligence — National Directorate of Security.
Reports suggest a number of Afghan and international service members were also said to be wounded in the attack.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault that came hours after the U.S. forces transferred control of the prison at Bagram to Afghan authorities.
Bagram air base, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of capital Kabul is located in Parwan province which sees little of the Taliban-led insurgency, but the base comes under insurgent rocket attacks from time to time.
A similar attack on the base in August damaged the aircraft of General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff who was visiting the war-torn country. Two service members were wounded at that time.
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