Rest in peace to these fallen guards. Afghan security contractors have definitely paid a high price in Afghanistan.
Although this attack is interesting in that it came out right after this bit of news about the Host Nation Trucking contracts. Was this an attack designed to take out the competition? Who knows, but maybe someone out there has a better idea?
The other thing I wanted to point out is that they stopped the attackers at the front gate. The two bombers may have blown up that front gate and killed four guards, but the other security forces were able to neutralize the third bomber in a firefight and stop them at the breach. A tragic loss of life, but they definitely stopped the attack from reaching the client. That is awesome and Til Valhall. –Matt
Four die in Taliban attack near Afghan NATO base
By Mamoon Durrani
8/15/2011
Four security guards died Monday as suicide bombers targeted a fuel depot for NATO-led forces close to one of Afghanistan’s biggest bases, where thousands of foreign troops are stationed.
The attack happened at a facility belonging to logistics company Supreme, near the sprawling Kandahar airfield, which acts as a hub for troop operations across south Afghanistan, the Taliban’s heartland and focus of the war.
The police commander for southern Afghanistan, General Salem Ihsas, said four Afghan guards working for a private security firm were killed in the assault, which happened at around 9:00 pm (1630 GMT).
He said eight other guards — three from Nepal and five from Afghanistan — were also wounded.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the militant group was behind the attack in a telephone call from an undisclosed location.
The insurgents frequently target organisations, both foreign and Afghan, which work with the 140,000-strong foreign military in Afghanistan as well as fuel convoys and tankers supplying the international force.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) relies on contractors to provide a wide range of services in Afghanistan, particularly at large hub bases such as Kandahar airfield.
Ihsas said three suicide bombers were behind the attack, with two blowing themselves up at the compound gates and a third shot dead by security forces in a gun battle.
The fighting is now over and “we are in control,” Ihsas said, adding the suicide bombers had not managed to get inside the compound.