Afghan bombs hit 27

KABUL, Afghanistan – Two explosions injured as many as 27 people in an eastern Afghan city yesterday, while concern grew that an Australian journalist may have been kidnapped in the Taliban-haunted south.

Elsewhere, militants burned trucks supplying American troops and abducted their Afghan crews, and government forces killed three gunmen in a Taliban stronghold. The explosions occurred a few minutes apart near security checkpoints in downtown Jalalabad, 125 kilometers east of the capital, Kabul, officials said.Faizan, a spokesman for the provincial government who uses only one name, said 27 people were wounded -five police officers and 22 civilians.”It’s a very crowded area, and they were mainly shopkeepers and people just walking by,” Faizan said.Officials said the bombs were hidden in crates of fruit and shattered the windows of nearby homes and shops.Faizan blamed “the enemies of the Afghan nation” – a byword for anti-government militants, such as rebels of the ousted Taliban regime.But Hamed Agha, who says he speaks for the hardline militia, said it was not involved.Agha blamed feuds among security officials in Nangarhar province, which is riven by tribal and factional animosities.The blasts follow a bomb attack on a bus carrying women election workers in Jalalabad on Friday, which killed two of them and wounded 13 others.A spokesmen for the Taliban, who have vowed to disrupt the vote due in September, claimed that attack.- Nampa-APThe explosions occurred a few minutes apart near security checkpoints in downtown Jalalabad, 125 kilometers east of the capital, Kabul, officials said.Faizan, a spokesman for the provincial government who uses only one name, said 27 people were wounded -five police officers and 22 civilians.”It’s a very crowded area, and they were mainly shopkeepers and people just walking by,” Faizan said.Officials said the bombs were hidden in crates of fruit and shattered the windows of nearby homes and shops.Faizan blamed “the enemies of the Afghan nation” – a byword for anti-government militants, such as rebels of the ousted Taliban regime.But Hamed Agha, who says he speaks for the hardline militia, said it was not involved.Agha blamed feuds among security officials in Nangarhar province, which is riven by tribal and factional animosities.The blasts follow a bomb attack on a bus carrying women election workers in Jalalabad on Friday, which killed two of them and wounded 13 others.A spokesmen for the Taliban, who have vowed to disrupt the vote due in September, claimed that attack.- Nampa-AP