Bomb Blasts Kill 14 In Afghanistan, Pakistan During UN Chief's Visit

Originally published on GroundReport.com, the global citizen journalism platform democratizing the media.

By Abudlhadi Hairan

At least 14 people were killed in two bomb blasts in violence-stricken Pakistan and Afghanistan during a visit to the region by Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon on Thursday.

According to police officials in Dera Ghazi Khan, a central city of Pakistan, the bomb went off near a bus stop as worshipers were streaming toward the mosque for prayers.

Seven people were killed and more than 30 wounded in the blast, the officials confirmed.

In southern Afghanistan, a roadside bomb killed seven bodyguards of a district governor. Officials confirmed that the blast destroyed a vehicle of bodyguards belonging to the governor of Musa Qila district, Helmand province, Mullah Abdul Salam, a former Taliban commander who has survived many assassination attempts since joining government forces.

Similarly, a suicide car bomb struck a convoy of the international troops in eastern Afghan province Nangrahar, but no casualties were reported.

The Coalition Forces in the neighboring Konar province announced on Wednesday that 700 additional American troops were deployed on the Pak-Afghan border area to curb help terrorism. In response, a Taliban spokesman told media correspondents that they will increase their attacks and claimed that they have trained 1,500 additional fighters to carry out attacks on the newly appointed American soldiers.

The increasing violence and growing terrorist ranks are the biggest challenges President Barack Obama faces in the region. Local forces had hoped Obama would launch alter US strategy in the region after stepping into the White House which, but residents have seen no change to policy so far.

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