Heart: Three suicide bombers wearing
police uniforms and burqas today attacked the United Nations
office in the western Afghan city of Herat, senior police and
UN officials said.
There were no casualties among UN workers, Delawar Shah
Delawar, deputy police chief of Herat province, told a news agency after the raid, which was claimed by the Taliban.
"One of the suicide attackers drove his explosives-packed
vehicle into the rear gate of the compound. The two other
attackers tried to enter the building after the blast but they
were killed by guards and policemen," he said.
"At this stage we are searching the compound to make sure
there are no attackers hiding inside the building," he said,
adding:
"The attack did not cause any casualties to security
forces or UN workers."
UN officials in Kabul and Herat confirmed the attack and
that there were no deaths or injuries among UN staff, who had
taken refuge in a safe bunker.
The United Nations has been seen as a specific target of
the Taliban since last October, when a Kabul guesthouse was
attacked and 12 people, including six UN employees, were
killed.
The latest attack began at 12:30 pm, a news agency reporter on
the scene said, adding that explosions and small arms fire was
heard from inside the compound, which is about eight
kilometres from Herat city centre.
The remains of the vehicle lay by the destroyed gate,
with body parts possibly those of the attackers strewn
around it, the reporter said.
PTI
