Suicide bomber kills 20 people in Afghanistan

[StarfarerBill]

Source: Associated Press

KABUL – A suicide bomber apparently planning to attack a meeting of NATO and tribal officials blew himself up in a busy market district Thursday in central Afghanistan, killing at least 20 people, officials said, making it the deadliest attack against civilians in more than three months.

The attack came a day after the U.N. released a report showing that the number of Afghan civilians killed in war-related violence was at its highest level last year, and suicide bombings and other attacks blamed on insurgents were the leading cause of death.

The blast tore through shops in the town of Dihrawud, in Uruzgan province, as the area was packed with people gathered for the weekly bazaar.

Police said they believed the attacker's target was a meeting for NATO and local officials to discuss security with dozens of tribal elders. It was unclear why he detonated his explosives before reaching the heavily guarded building where the meeting was being held.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100114/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

[NJmaverick]

1. The Taliban killing civilians is not going to help their cause

They killed three children in this attack.

[Soylent Brice]

2. sad. very sad.

K&R