14 killed, 31 wounded in Afghanistan bombing

GARDEZ, Afghanistan – A suicide bomber on foot detonated himself in a crowded market in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday just after a U.S. convoy drove by, killing at least 14 people and wounding 31, officials and witnesses said.\nThe attack in the city of Gardez damaged about 30 shops, shattered windows and destroyed the stores closest to the explosion. Three vehicles were damaged, including a taxi blasted by dozens of pieces of shrapnel.\nWitnesses said a U.S. convoy appeared to be the target, and Maj. William Mitchell, a spokesman for NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, said there were initial reports of injuries to ISAF soldiers, though he didn’t have further details.\nSix people died at the scene of the blast, police said. Another eight died later at a hospital, said Ghulam Hazrat Majedi, the doctor in charge of the Gardez hospital. He said two of the 31 people injured were in a critical condition.\nAfghan soldiers donated blood for the wounded.\nNasar Ahmad, a 30-year-old shopkeeper whose three cousins were seriously injured in the blast, said he saw a U.S. convoy driving through the city just before the explosion.\n“I heard a strong blast and then saw a fireball go up,” Ahmad said from Gardez’ hospital. “For 10 minutes I couldn’t hear and I didn’t know where I was. I saw a lot of people injured lying in the street.” \nShah Mohammad, 19, said everyone killed or wounded by the blast were Afghan civilians.\n“The convoy had already passed when the attack happened,” he said. \nThe blast in Gardez comes one day after a suicide bomber in northern Afghanistan killed three German soldiers and seven civilians.\nA statement from NATO’s ISAF said that during the last several days Afghan and ISAF operations “have resulted in the removal of over 100 enemy fighters.” The ISAF press office said it wasn’t immediately clear what the word “removal” meant.\nThe statement said local Afghans are increasing their cooperation with military and government units.