2015 Bagram suicide bombing | |
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Part of War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) | |
Location | Bagram, Parwan Province, Afghanistan |
Date | December 21, 2015 |
Deaths | 6 |
Injured | 3 |
Perpetrators | Taliban, Suicide bomber named Zahidullah |
Motive | To end foreign occupation of Afghanistan |
On December 21, 2015, in Bagram, a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing six NATO service members.
All six of the members killed were of American nationality.
Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban, claimed they were responsible for the attack via Twitter and e-mail. [2] [3] [4] [5]
A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle loaded with explosives crashed into a NATO-Afghanistan foot patrol while it was traveling throughout the village near Bagram Air Base. Six American NATO service members were killed with two other Americans and an Afghani injured. [6]
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter responded to the bombing, stating, "our troops are working diligently alongside our Afghan partners to build a brighter future for the Afghan people. Their dedicated efforts will continue despite this tragic event. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of these brave Americans who died in service to this vital mission, and our thoughts remain with all of our troops serving overseas during this holiday season so that we may have peace and security at home." [7]
White House Office of the Press Secretary issued a statement, stating "we express our deepest condolences to the families of the six U.S. service members killed and to all of those injured in today’s Taliban attack near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and their loved ones. The United States condemns this cowardly attack on members of the U.S. and Afghan forces, and we remain committed to supporting the Afghan people and their government. We will continue to work together to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan, just as we will not relent in our mission to counter the threat of terrorism that plagues the region." [8]
Bagram Airfield-BAF, also known as Bagram Air Base, is located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southeast of Charikar in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan. It is under the Afghan Ministry of Defense. Sitting on the site of the ancient Bagram at an elevation of 1,492 metres (4,895 ft) above sea level, the air base has two concrete runways. The main one measures 3,602 by 46 metres, capable of handling large military aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy. The second runway measures 2,953 by 26 metres. The air base also has at least three large hangars, a control tower, numerous support buildings, and various housing areas. There are also more than 13 hectares of ramp space and five aircraft dispersal areas, with over 110 revetments.
The Taliban insurgency began after the group's fall from power during the 2001 War in Afghanistan. The Taliban forces fought against the Afghan government, led by President Hamid Karzai, and later by President Ashraf Ghani, and against a US-led coalition of forces that has included all members of NATO; the 2021 Taliban offensive resulted in the collapse of the government of Ashraf Ghani. The private sector in Pakistan extends financial aid to the Taliban, contributing to their financial sustenance.
Events from the year 2007 in Afghanistan.
There were 2,459 United States military deaths in the War in Afghanistan, which lasted from October 2001 to August 2021. 1,922 of these deaths were the result of hostile action. 20,769 American servicemembers were also wounded in action during the war. In addition, 18 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operatives also died in Afghanistan. Further, there were 1,822 civilian contractor fatalities.
Events from the year 2008 in Afghanistan.
Events from the year 2011 in Afghanistan.
Events from the year 2012 in Afghanistan.
The 2012 Afghanistan Quran burning protests were a series of protests of varying levels of violence which took place early in 2012 in response to the burning of Islamic religious material by soldiers from the United States Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. On 22 February 2012, U.S. troops at Bagram Base disposed of copies of the Quran that had been used by Taliban prisoners to write messages to each other. As part of the disposal, parts of the books were burned. Afghan forces working at the base reported this, resulting in outraged Afghans besieging Bagram AFB, raining it with molotov cocktails and stones. After five days of protest, 30 people had been killed, including four Americans. Over 200 people were wounded. International condemnation followed the burning of copies of the Quran, on 22 February 2012, from the library that is used by inmates at the base's detention facility. The protests included domestic riots which caused at least 41 deaths and at least 270 injuries.
The following lists events from 2014 in Afghanistan.
The following lists events that happened in 2013 in Afghanistan.
The following lists events that happened during 2015 in Afghanistan.
The following lists events that happened during 2016 in Afghanistan.
The 2016 Bagram bombing took place on November 12, 2016, when a suicide bomber managed to penetrate the security layer of Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan located about 45 km north of Kabul, detonating his vest near a group of soldiers who were en route to Modern Army Combatives Training. Four U.S. citizens were killed (2 soldiers and 2 contractors, while at least 17 others were injured, including 16 Americans and 1 Polish citizen. One injured soldier died a month later from complications due to injuries sustained in the blast raising the total killed to 5.
Events in the year 2017 in Afghanistan.
On 8 July 2014, a Taliban suicide bomber riding a bicycle attacked a joint Afghan-ISAF reconnaissance mission in the vicinity of Qalandar Khel Village in front of the Korean Clinic.
Events in the year 2018 in Afghanistan.
Events from the year 2019 in Afghanistan.
This article summarizes the history of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).
In the early morning of December 11, 2019, the Taliban attacked Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, which at the time was controlled by the United States military. The attackers used two car bombs which killed two civilians and injured 80 others.
Events in the year 2020 in Afghanistan.