Foreign Correspondence

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Eight US 'CIA agents' killed in Afghanistan bomb attack


Reporter Michelle Lang had
recently arrived in Afghanistan

Eight CIA workers have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in south-eastern Afghanistan, the worst attack against intelligence officials since 2001.

A bomber wearing an explosive vest entered Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost Province, near Pakistan.

Several other people were reported injured by the blast.

In a separate attack, four Canadian soldiers and a journalist died when their vehicle was blown up in the south-eastern province of Kandahar.

It is the worst fatal incident affecting Canadians in Afghanistan for more than two years.

'Award-winning reporter'

The journalist has been identified as Michelle Lang, 34, from the Calgary Herald, who had just arrived on her first assignment in the country.

The armoured vehicle the group were travelling in was touring local reconstruction projects.



An award-winning health reporter, her colleagues at the newspaper were said to have been devastated by the news of the death of Ms Lang, who was recently engaged to be married and described as bright, quick-witted and kind.

"We are all very saddened to hear this tragic news," Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert said in a statement. "Michelle covered health issues with professionalism, accuracy and thoroughness."

The BBC's Lee Carter, in Toronto, says the deaths will add to the conviction felt by many Canadians that the country has carried a disproportion number of casualties - which has now reached a total of 138 people - especially in comparison to some European Nato allies.

Remote areas

Initially, the dead Americans in Khost were described simply as civilians, but they were later reported to be affiliated to the CIA.

The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says the exact nature of their role is not year clear but some of those killed may have been contractors to the agency.

ANALYSIS
Kim Ghattas, Washington
It is probably the deadliest attack against US intelligence officials since the start of the war in 2001.

What was unusual about this attack was that the suicide bomber was able to detonate his explosives inside the base. In the past, such attacks would have mostly killed Afghan labourers lined up outside a base, looking for work.

There will be a lots of questions asked about this attack - how exactly, for example, did the attacker manage to infiltrate the base, was it perhaps an inside job and did he get help from Afghans on the base?

Reports suggested the attacker struck inside the gym at the base. It is not clear how many people were injured.

"We mourn the loss of life in this attack, and are withholding further details pending notification of next of kin," US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

A spokesman for Isaf, the international Nato force in Afghanistan, said that "no US and no Isaf military personnel were killed or injured" in the incident.

Khost province - which is one of the Taliban's strongholds - has been targeted by militants over the past year.

The number of foreign civilians deployed in Afghanistan has been rising as international efforts there focus increasingly on development and aid.

Civilians work alongside military reconstruction teams at provincial bases around the country.

A "civilian surge" was one of the three core elements of the new US strategy for Afghanistan announced by US President Barack Obama at the beginning of the month.

This has been the deadliest year for foreign troops since the 2001 invasion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8435502.stm