Date: 17 February 2008

Location: Kandahar, Afghanistan

Type of event: terrorism

Description:

A suicide bombing at a dogfighting festival in Kandahar, Afghanistan, killed over 100. A suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a group of about 500 men gathered in a field about 15 km west of the center of Kandahar city. The attack killed police commander Abdul Hakim Jan (who may have been targeted by the bomber) along with 10-50 other police officers. Total reported deaths were 105-125, of whom perhaps 80 died immediately with about 20 dying of injuries by the following day; at least 65 more were injured.

Consequences: 105 killed, 95 injured

References:

• AP, 18 Feb. 2008, "140 killed in 2 days of bombings, Afghanistan's deadliest span since 2001," International Herald Tribune, on line [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/18/asia/AS-GEN-Afghan-Violence.php?page=2].
• BBC, 17 Feb. 2008, "Scores killed in Afghan bombing," BBC News, on line [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7249138.stm].
• Levitz, Stephanie, 19 Feb. 2008, "Bombing targets Canadians," The Star, on line [http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/304774].
• Shah, Taimoor, and Carlotta Gall, 18 Feb. 2008, "At least 80 are killed in Afghan suicide bombing," New York Times.
• Smith, Graeme, 18 Feb. 2008, "Suicide bomb exacts huge toll at Kandahar dogfight," Globe and Mail, on line [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080218.wafghan18/BNStory/Afghanistan/home].

© 2017 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 26 November 2017.
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