4 suicide attackers strike in southern Afghanistan city of Kandahar; casualties reported

4 suicide attackers hit southern Afghanistan city

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Four suicide bombers struck different parts of the dangerous southern city of Kandahar in attacks Saturday evening that collapsed buildings and caused casualties, officials said.

The explosions occurred near a hotel, a prison, a mosque and at an intersection in the city center, said Mohammad Shad Farooqi, deputy police chief in Kandahar province.

An unknown number of casualties were reported, said Zemarai Bashary, a Ministry of Interior spokesman. He said police and soldiers have secured the city.

Mayor Gulam Hamidi said several buildings collapsed, including houses and shops. “I am sending my equipment to help the police to try to dig through the rubble,” he said.

His daughter, Ragina Hamidi, who runs a small business in Kandahar, said: “We are just staying in doors for our own safety.”

Kandahar has a population of 800,000. It is the south’s main commercial center and the major city in Kandahar province, the birthplace of the Taliban.

Associated Press Writers Kathy Gannon in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Rahim Faiez in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.