Afghanistan/France

Deadly attack as local leaders meet with French general

Article published on the 2009-11-16 Latest update 2009-11-16 14:32 TU

Afghan members of a demining squad walk with their demining dogs down a mountain after a mine clearing operation outside the village of Tangi Saidan on Saturday. Afghanistan is still struggling to remove mines from remote areas after three decades of war.
(Photo: Reuters)

Three died and dozens were wounded in an attack on a bazaar in the town of Tagab. French General Marcel Druart, who commands French troops in eastern Afghanistan, was attending a shura of tribal elders only 300 metres away. Two rockets were fired into the marketplace.

According to French Admiral Christophe Prazuck, French and American medical teams evacuated six of the wounded to military hospitals in Kabul, while others were taken in armoured vehicles to the French base in Tagab.

He confirmed that at least three Afghans including children were killed in the attack but no French troops were hurt.

General Druart was meeting tribal elders as part of Nato's attempt to win the trust and support of local civilians in the area just outside Kabul.

The attack occured shortly before Afghanistan’s government announced the formation of a major crime unit to tackle corruption. The move is seen as bowing to international pressure to fight endemic graft.

Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar said the unit will be working with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Britain’s Scotland Yard and the European Union’s police training mission in Afghanistan EUPOL.