King Solomon
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A suicide bomber dressed in a burka blew himself up near a French patrol in Afghanistan on Saturday, killing four soldiers and wounding five in one of the deadliest attacks on the French contingent in months.
French soldiers from the 7th Mountain Infantry Battalion on patrol near Tagab in Kapisa province in Afghanistan Photo: AFP
1:04PM BST 09 Jun 2012
The attack occurred in the mountainous Kapisa province in the east of the country, an area mainly patrolled by a French force under Nato command.
"It was an unfortunate incident. There was a patrol of coalition soldiers in a small bazaar and they were attacked by a suicide bomber wearing a burka," said Sediq Sediqqi, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman.
French President Francois Hollande's office in Paris confirmed that the soldiers involved in the attack were French.
A statement from his office said among the five wounded, three were in a serious condition, and Mr Hollande would dispatch defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to Afghanistan on Sunday.
Until Saturday's incident, 83 French soldiers had been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led military intervention began in 2001 the fourth highest number of military deaths by nation, behind the United States, Britain and Canada.
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The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in the Nijrab district of the province, saying in an email message that a suicide attacker had struck the foreign soldiers.
Violence has surged across Afghanistan in recent weeks, with the Taliban vowing to target the Western-backed Afghan government and security forces, as well as the 130,000 foreign troops in the country, most of whom are due to leave by the end of 2014.
France plans to withdraw most of its roughly 3,400 troops by the end of this year, two years ahead of the timetable agreed by Nato. French troops have suffered a series of attacks including several by rogue Afghan soldiers, triggering demands in France for their troops to be brought home early.
Last month Mr Hollande, during a visit to the volatile province, defended the decision to pull out early, saying the job of fighting terrorism was nearly done, and France would focus on co-operating on the civilian front.
France's decision has raised concerns that other members of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) coalition may follow its example and accelerate their withdrawal plans, handing security prematurely to fledgling Afghan forces.
Kapisa is one of the provinces scheduled to be handed over to Afghan forces in the current third phase of transition before 2014.
French soldiers from the 7th Mountain Infantry Battalion on patrol near Tagab in Kapisa province in Afghanistan Photo: AFP
1:04PM BST 09 Jun 2012
The attack occurred in the mountainous Kapisa province in the east of the country, an area mainly patrolled by a French force under Nato command.
"It was an unfortunate incident. There was a patrol of coalition soldiers in a small bazaar and they were attacked by a suicide bomber wearing a burka," said Sediq Sediqqi, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman.
French President Francois Hollande's office in Paris confirmed that the soldiers involved in the attack were French.
A statement from his office said among the five wounded, three were in a serious condition, and Mr Hollande would dispatch defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to Afghanistan on Sunday.
Until Saturday's incident, 83 French soldiers had been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led military intervention began in 2001 the fourth highest number of military deaths by nation, behind the United States, Britain and Canada.
Related Articles
US soldier Bowe Bergdahl 'ashamed to be American' 08 Jun 2012
US reaching 'limits of patience with Pakistan' 07 Jun 2012
Pakistan and Taliban acused of poisoning Afghan schoolchildren 06 Jun 2012
23 killed in Kandahar suicide attack as 15 die in Nato airstrike 06 Jun 2012
Soldier killed in rescue mission was to be father 05 Jun 2012
Taliban leaders quietly freed without trial after paying off officials 04 Jun 2012
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in the Nijrab district of the province, saying in an email message that a suicide attacker had struck the foreign soldiers.
Violence has surged across Afghanistan in recent weeks, with the Taliban vowing to target the Western-backed Afghan government and security forces, as well as the 130,000 foreign troops in the country, most of whom are due to leave by the end of 2014.
France plans to withdraw most of its roughly 3,400 troops by the end of this year, two years ahead of the timetable agreed by Nato. French troops have suffered a series of attacks including several by rogue Afghan soldiers, triggering demands in France for their troops to be brought home early.
Last month Mr Hollande, during a visit to the volatile province, defended the decision to pull out early, saying the job of fighting terrorism was nearly done, and France would focus on co-operating on the civilian front.
France's decision has raised concerns that other members of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) coalition may follow its example and accelerate their withdrawal plans, handing security prematurely to fledgling Afghan forces.
Kapisa is one of the provinces scheduled to be handed over to Afghan forces in the current third phase of transition before 2014.
...i can see who the real coward is....
... The one who has the courage to take his own life is a coward ? 
