 Seventeen Afghan road workers were killed in an insurgent attack in the southern Afghan province of Zabul on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said.
| If the guys driving the tar trucks aren't legitimate military targets then who is? |
The Taliban have vowed to step up their war to expel foreign troops and bring down the Western-backed government and intermittent fighting has been picking up in recent days after a traditional winter lull.
| It's known as the Brutal Afghan Winter™. Even hardened Canucks have been known to say "Pretty cold today, eh?" |
"Seventeen engineers and road workers were killed in an attack by enemies of Afghanistan's stability," said ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary. All the victims were Afghan, he said.
| But the Talibs would have bumped off the Hated Furriners if there had been any around, you betcha. |
Sixteen workers were wounded, he said, adding he did not know the name of their company. He did not elaborate on the identity of the attackers but Taliban operate in the province, which borders Pakistan. "Police, national army and coalition forces rushed to the site and killed seven enemies," Bashary said.
| "We dunno where they came from. They went to Hell." |
Taliban rebels regularly attack infrastructure projects in their efforts to undermine the government and its aid donors who are struggling to develop the impoverished country. |