Roadside bombs injure six German soldiers in Afghanistan

Jun 20, 2010, 8:51 GMT

Kunduz, Afghanistan - Six German soldiers were injured by roadside bombs in relatively peaceful northern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.

An armoured military vehicle was struck by a bomb in Chardarah district of Kunduz province Sunday morning, causing damage but causing no casualties, Abdul Wahid Omarkhel, the district governor said.

Around two hours later, another German military vehicle was hit by bomb as the soldiers were trying to transport the damaged vehicle, Mohammad Omar, the provincial governor, said.

'Three German soldiers were injured in the second blast,' he said.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid took responsibility for the attacks by phone from an undisclosed location. He claimed that three military tanks were destroyed and all of their occupants were killed in the attacks.

A German military spokesman in Kunduz confirmed both attacks, saying that one vehicle was damaged and 'some of our soldiers were slightly injured.'

On Saturday, a bomb in the northern province of Badakhshan injured three German soldiers, local officials and a source from the German military in the region confirmed Sunday.

Around 5,000 German troops are deployed to northern region as part of 120,000 NATO-led international forces in the country.

Sunday's attacks came a day after 12 suspected Taliban were killed in a clash with Afghan and NATO forces near Kunduz city.

Taliban field commander Mullah Abdul Razaq, who was behind several roadside attacks in the province including two that killed three US soldiers this month, was among those killed in Saturday's operation.