Trouble spot

Published April 18, 2011 4:00am ET



A man dressed in an Afghan military uniform opened fire at the Defense Ministry in Kabul Monday, killing at least two people and injuring seven. The attack came before a press conference scheduled with Afghan and French defense officials, according to wire reports. It was the latest in a wave of attacks involving terrorists dressed in either Afghan military or police garb. On Friday, a man dressed as a law enforcement officer entered the police headquarters in Kandahar and detonated a suicide bomb that killed three people, including the provincial police chief. On Saturday, five NATO and four Afghan soldiers died when a suicide bomber dressed in an Afghan military uniform detonated an explosive.

A Taliban spokesman said the group was responsible for Monday’s attack, along with those since Friday. The recent assaults illustrate a tactic the Taliban plans to use in the coming summer season of fighting the U.S.-led coalition, officials said. The Taliban wants to use sympathizers who have infiltrated the police or army to sneak explosives into sensitive locations, then detonate them.

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