AFGHANISTAN A suicide attacker blew himself up in an army recruiting center in the northern Afghanistan province of Kunduz, killing at least 33 and injuring 40 others — the latest attack by insurgents in a new wave of violence.
The attacker was wearing an army uniform when he set off the explosives at about 2 p.m., according to local officials who saw the attack as an effort to slow the transfer of authority from the U.S. to the government of President Hamid Karzai.
Karzai called the attack “a serious crime and an unforgivable act of terror” that would only toughen anti-Taliban resolve. “Such terrorist actions cannot affect the determination and morale of our youth to courageously prepare to serve their country, but will instead bolster their resolve and dedication to eliminate a cruel enemy that wants nothing but bloodletting.”
The U.S.-led military coalition and the U.S. Embassy also issued statements condemning the attack.
A suicide bomber killed the provincial police chief, Abdul Rahman Sayedkhili, and three others last week. “The enemy wants to create terror and frighten the people not to join security forces in order to stop the country from providing its own security,” said Sayedkhili’s replacement.
