According to military officials, the single deadliest assault on U.S. citizens in Kabul took place Saturday when as many as 13 Americans were killed as a Taliban suicide bomber attacked an armored shuttle bus.
The New York Times reported that a Taliban spokesman said Abdul Rahman Hazarbos drove a vehicle with 1,500 pounds of explosives into a bus kill all of the American military trainers aboard.
The bus, called a Rhino because of its protective armor, was traveling down Darulaman Road, a busy street that is taken mostly by NATO military trainers traveling from the Kabul Military Training Center to downtown Kabul the New York Times reported.
The Los Angeles Times reports 5 troops and 8 civilian workers were killed in the attack according to NATO officials, along with at least 3 Afghan civilians and a policeman according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.
Kabul is one of the safer cities according to the Los Angeles Times, because attacks are rare and the city is more secure than other parts of Afghanistan. But, the Taliban have begun to retaliate and strengthen their political stance since Afghanistan has been taking over security forces from NATO.
"Our deepest sympathies go out to their comrades and families, but it will not deter us from our mission," Ryan C. Crocker, the United States Ambassador, said in the New York Times. "It's a shock, but we will not let these guys win."
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