Afghanistan: Suicide bombing in Helmand August 27

Event

At least 13 people were killed, and 19 more injured, in a suicide bombing carried out at 18:30 (local time) on Sunday, August 27, in the Nawa district of the southern province of Helmand. According to local officials, the Taliban has claimed the responsibility for the attack, which targeted a convoy of Afghan soldiers.

Context

Helmand province is experiencing a resurgence of violence due to renewed fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces. As of August 2017, Taliban forces occupy some 80 percent of the province. Sunday’s incident comes less than a week after a suicide bomb killed five people and injured another 42 near a police station in the province’s capital of Lashkar Gah.

The Taliban has made gains in various parts of the country since most foreign combat troops withdrew from Afghanistan at the end of 2014. 

Advice

Individuals in Helmand province are advised to avoid the attack site and to monitor the situation. As a reminder, many Western governments advise their citizens against travel to the country due to a high threat from kidnapping, terrorism, and frequent and widespread lethal attacks against Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, domestic and international political and civilian targets, and individuals working in the humanitarian and reconstruction fields. Travel to the country should only be undertaken with proper security protocols in place.