Blast rocks eastern Afghan city

27/02/2012| IslamWeb

At least nine people have been killed and 12 others injured in a large explosion at the entrance of the airport in the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, police say.

Provincial police spokesman Hazrad Mohammad said "a very strong'' blast hit the airport in Nangarhar province on Monday morning.

According to Reuters news agency, Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack saying it was "revenge" for the burning of copies of the Quran which sparked off deadly protests almost a week ago.

The casualties appeared to be civilians, said Obaidullah Talwar, a senior police detective for eastern Nangarhar province, of which Jalalabad is capital.

More than 30 people have been killed, including four US soldiers, since protests erupted over the burning of copies of the Quran in an incinerator pit at the US-run Bagram airbase north of Kabul.

"Most of the deaths have been Afghans caught up in violence at protests, or shot by security forces," Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith, reporting from Kabul, said.

"The Taliban have been encouraging people to attack foreign troops, but it's been mostly Afghan casualties."

PHOTO CAPTION

Map of Afghanistan locating Jalalabad

Al-Jazeera