18 die as Taliban target opium initiative

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A suicide attack in eastern Afghanistan which killed 18 people and wounded 41 others on Tuesday targeted a government poppy eradication team, Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said.

The incident occurred in the Khogyani district of Nangarhar province, authorities told CNN.

Nangarhar had been one of the largest opium-producing provinces in the country.

The bomber struck an outdoor meeting, where tribal leaders listened to the team and the district governor discuss the plans to eradicate poppies used to produce opium.

The Afghan Interior Ministry said the attack showed the connection between terrorists and drug trafficking.

The U.S. State Department said in a recent report that poppy production in Afghanistan was at record levels, a grim assessment for NATO-led troops fighting Taliban militants. The Taliban is thought to be trafficking in drugs to finance insurgent activities.

While efforts had been made to reduce opium cultivation, the industry made a resurgence last year because there were no alternative livelihoods for residents.

Of the people killed in Tuesday's attack, 11 were police officers and seven were civilians, the ministry said. A security source said one of the police officers was the district police chief.

A provincial hospital official said of the 41 people wounded, 23 received serious injuries.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said some of its soldiers were passing in the center of the district at the time of attack, but none were hurt.

"If the goal of the insurgents was to target ISAF troops operating in the area, they failed," said spokesman Brig. Gen. Carlos Branco.

"If the insurgents' goal was to injure and kill Afghan citizens, they succeeded. This only shows the insurgents' utter disregard for the life of the Afghan people."

The incident comes as U.S. and British forces launched an offensive against Taliban militants in Helmand province late Monday, pouring into one of the country's main poppy-growing regions.

Two days ago, fighting raged in two sections of the country.

Afghan and American troops repelled a "failed attack" on U.S. and Afghan bases Sunday in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan, killing 12 insurgents and wounding 12 others, the U.S. military said.

Taliban militants opened fire at a military ceremony in Kabul where Afghan President Hamid Karzai was present. Karzai escaped unhurt. An Afghan lawmaker, a tribal leader and a 10-year-old child were killed and several others were wounded, officials said. E-mail to a friend

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