2009 NATO Afghanistan headquarters bombing
Encyclopedia
The 2009 NATO Afghanistan headquarters bombing occurred on August 15, 2009 when an alleged Taliban suicide bomber
detonated himself outside of the NATO headquarters in Kabul
, Afghanistan
. The bomber killed at least seven people and injured 91.
Brigadier General Eric Tremblay, though he would not give details. The Taliban claimed differently, stating that they had destroyed four vehicles and killed 24 US embassy employees. Among those wounded was parliament member, Awa Alam Nuristani, and a female campaign manager for President
Hamid Karzai
. After the attacks Karzai declared that "the enemies of Afghanistan, by conducting such attacks, are trying to create fear among the people as we get close to the election, but people still realise the importance of going to ballot boxes to cast their votes."
The attack was claimed by a Taliban spokesperson to have been carried out as a method to disrupt the country's second election. The spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, stated that, "One of our suicide bombers in a (Toyota Hilux
) Surf vehicle packed with 500 kilograms of explosives targeted the ISAF headquarters... We will continue this kind of operation in the future and we will accelerate our operations against the Afghan and foreign forces.”
The blast occurred in one of the city’s most heavily guarded streets, which runs between the United States Embassy and the presidential palace. The blast did not affect them, nor did it cause substantial damage to the NATO headquarters. It was the first attack on the NATO compound since its construction in 2002.
The incident marked the beginning of a wave of intimidation by unknown perpetrators, mostly spread by telephone call
s and text messaging
, warning Afghans not to participate in polling at risk of being killed and targeted alongside foreign forces.
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
detonated himself outside of the NATO headquarters in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The bomber killed at least seven people and injured 91.
Attack
The bomber drove his automobile undetected through three or fewer police-checkpoints before detonating his explosive payload, estimated as variously 275 kilograms (606.3 lb) and 500 kilograms (1,102.3 lb), 30 yards (27.4 m) from the main gate of the NATO base. The attack, coming five days before the country's presidential elections, was the first major attack in the capital since February.Aftermath
The attack wounded 91 people and immediately killed seven civilians, though doctors stated that some patients were in danger of succumbing to injuries later on. Casualties among the military were stated to have been avoided by ISAFInternational Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
Brigadier General Eric Tremblay, though he would not give details. The Taliban claimed differently, stating that they had destroyed four vehicles and killed 24 US embassy employees. Among those wounded was parliament member, Awa Alam Nuristani, and a female campaign manager for President
President of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
. After the attacks Karzai declared that "the enemies of Afghanistan, by conducting such attacks, are trying to create fear among the people as we get close to the election, but people still realise the importance of going to ballot boxes to cast their votes."
The attack was claimed by a Taliban spokesperson to have been carried out as a method to disrupt the country's second election. The spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, stated that, "One of our suicide bombers in a (Toyota Hilux
Toyota Hilux Surf
The Toyota Hilux Surf is an off-road vehicle manufactured by Toyota, sold mainly in Japan, with large numbers exported as used vehicles to Pakistan, Afghanistan, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia...
) Surf vehicle packed with 500 kilograms of explosives targeted the ISAF headquarters... We will continue this kind of operation in the future and we will accelerate our operations against the Afghan and foreign forces.”
The blast occurred in one of the city’s most heavily guarded streets, which runs between the United States Embassy and the presidential palace. The blast did not affect them, nor did it cause substantial damage to the NATO headquarters. It was the first attack on the NATO compound since its construction in 2002.
The incident marked the beginning of a wave of intimidation by unknown perpetrators, mostly spread by telephone call
Telephone call
A telephone call is a connection over a telephone network between the calling party and the called party.-Information transmission:A telephone call may carry ordinary voice transmission using a telephone, data transmission when the calling party and called party are using modems, or facsimile...
s and text messaging
Text messaging
Text messaging, or texting, refers to the exchange of brief written text messages between fixed-line phone or mobile phone and fixed or portable devices over a network...
, warning Afghans not to participate in polling at risk of being killed and targeted alongside foreign forces.