Afghan government: 7 civilians working on road construction killed in bomb attack

more images

more images

more images

more images

more images

more images

7 Afghan construction workers killed in bombing

KABUL, Afghanistan — Seven Afghan construction workers were killed in a roadside bomb attack in central Afghanistan, the government said Thursday.

The group of workers for Qaher Afghan Road Construction Co. was traveling in Uruzgan province on Wednesday when their vehicle was hit by a remote-controlled bomb, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. All the passengers were killed.

Taliban militants regularly target civilians seen as allied with the government or international forces, as well as attacking troops themselves. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the Uruzgan bombing.

NATO commanders have said that the next few months are key to success in Afghanistan — a task now under new leadership, with the ouster of Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

At least 80 NATO soldiers have died this month, including four British soldiers killed in a vehicle accident in the south Wednesday. The soldiers, all part of a police advisory team, were traveling to assist at an incident at a checkpoint when their armored truck got into an accident near Gereshk, in southern Helmand province, according to Britain’s defense ministry.

The ministry said an inquiry would determine what exactly happened. It confirmed that no enemy action was involved.

Before this month, July 2009 held the record for NATO deaths with 75 troops killed.

NATO commanders have said that the next few months are key to success in Afghanistan. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who was just ousted as the top commander in the war, described a plan to create a “rising tide of security” in southern Taliban strongholds that would win over the civilian population.

President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that he was replacing McChrystal with Gen. David Petraeus following a Rolling Stone article in which McChrystal and his aides were dismissive of the U.S. administration.

The Afghan president’s office — which had strongly backed McChrystal — said it was relieved at the choice of Petraeus because the Central Command chief knew the war and would not change the strategy.

Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi also publicly voiced his support for McChrystal and for Petraeus.

“Since Gen. McChrystal took over the job as commander of the international forces, there have been a lot of changes in different departments, which are very important and positive,” Azimi said. “For example, there has been a decrease in the numbers of civilian casualties.”

Until Petraeus is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, British Lt. Gen. Nick Parker, the deputy commander of the NATO-led forces, is assuming command of the troops, according to British Prime Minister David Cameron. It is unclear how long the transition will take, or what it will mean for operations currently in planning stages.