More Than 50 Killed in Afghan Suicide Bombing

Six lawmakers are among the dead; explosion hit villagers, children gathered to greet visiting dignitaries
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 6, 2007 8:34 AM CST
More Than 50 Killed in Afghan Suicide Bombing
Afghan police men stand near a police vehicle damaged in an explosion in Chaprahar district IN Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007. Three police men died and five wounded when explosion went off police said.(AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)   (Associated Press)

A suicide bomber killed more than 50 people in northern Afghanistan today, Reuters reports, including five lawmakers, in the worst bombing in the nation’s history. A huge crowd of residents and school children had gathered to greet a delegation of members of parliament, the bomb's apparent target, visiting a sugar factory. The town’s intelligence chief said casualties from the explosion were so high an accurate count was impossible.

Among lawmakers killed was opposition spokesman Mostafa Kazemi; a prominent woman parliamentarian was wounded.  “I saw bodies lying in the streets and some of the people were stealing the weapons of the dead soldiers. Children are screaming for help. It's like a nightmare,” said one resident. Taliban suicide bombers have killed 200 this year, but have largely avoided northern Afghanistan. (More Afghanistan stories.)

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