November 26, 1995
Web posted at: 1:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT)
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The government of Afghanistan blames Taleban rebels for a series of bombings over residential areas of Kabul on Sunday. It was the heaviest air raid on the capital in more than a year. At least 35 people were killed; more than 140 were injured.
Red Cross spokesman Peter Iseli told CNN at least four separate air strikes were carried out. Red Cross workers evacuated the injured from two of them. Iseli said the bombings would not hinder the Red Cross' work aiding war victims. (216K AIFF sound or 216K WAV sound)
In their attempt to oust the current leadership and to impose strict Islamic rule in Afghanistan, Taleban rebels have been fighting the Afghan government since last year. They have captured about a third of the country and they currently surround Kabul. Taleban has vowed to capture the capital by force, rejecting United Nations proposals to replace the current government with a multi-factional council.
The bombings followed two nights of heavy fighting on the outskirts of Kabul. The rebels dropped parachute bombs over the non-military targets Sunday morning. Parachute bombs are designed to explode before hitting the ground, spraying shrapnel over a wide area.
Residents decried the severity and targets of the bombings. "This is the most barbaric war," one neighbor told Reuters as he watched the rescuers cover a two-year-old child dragged from the dust. "The Taleban are more cruel than Ghengis Khan. Even the Russians were not as bad as these people," he said.
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