A SUICIDE squad detonated bombs at a newly fortified prison, police headquarters and two other locations in Afghanistan yesterday, killing at least 30 people in the largest city of the southern Taleban heartland.
Kandahar's prison was the main target, but no prisoners escaped, Afghan president Hamid Karzai's half-brother said. Ahmed Wali Karzai, of the Kandahar provincial council, said two of the explosions occurred near his home, which was not damaged.
H
e said Canadian troops had reinforced the prison with cement after a suicide attack in 2008 blew apart the gates and freed hundreds of criminals and suspected insurgents.
"They wanted to keep people busy in the city and break the prison, but the Canadians last time did a good job," he said.
One suicide attack struck at the front gate of the police headquarters.
"There are a lot of civilian causalities," Wali Karzai said "Houses have collapsed and businesses and people are still under the rubble.
"There was a hall near the police headquarters and there was a wedding. A lot of casualties there from the explosions."
He said at least 30 people were killed and another 47 people were injured.
The city has a population of 800,000 and is the provincial capital of Kandahar Province, the spiritual birthplace of the Taleban movement.
US, Nato and Afghan forces are planning an offensive in the province this year, as they follow up the military operation in neighbouring Helmand Province, where thousands of troops worked for three weeks to seize control of the district of Marjah from the Taleban.
The Marjah offensive is the first test of US General Stanley McChrystal's strategy to rout insurgents from targeted areas in Afghanistan, set up new governance and rush in development aid to win the loyalty of residents.
Wali Karzai said local intelligence officials were tipped off about the attacks in Kandahar.
"I knew a month ago that this might happen," he said. "There were rumours around."
