KABUL, Afghanistan - Two bombs hidden in a motorcycle and a car exploded inside an elite gated community linked to the family of President Hamid Karzai on Friday evening, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 70 near the southern city of Kandahar, an official said.
The blasts happened inside Aino Mina, a housing complex on the northern outskirts of the city that was developed in part by Mahmood Karzai, the president's younger brother.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but striking inside a powerful symbol of wealth and influence would be a publicity coup for the Taliban insurgency.
Both the car and the motorcycle bombs were remotely detonated within minutes of each other while parked next to a restaurant area where families were dining, Kandahar government spokesman Javeed Faisal said. He had said earlier there was only one blast.
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Three police were among the dead, Faisal said, adding that an investigation is underway into how the explosives-laden vehicle slipped past the community's heavy security.
Many of the dozens of wounded brought to Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar were in critical condition, Dr. Samad Ahmadi said.
Aino Mina is home to thousands of Afghan government officials, businessmen and other wealthy citizens who pay $90,000 for a three-bedroom house on grounds featuring parks, a jogging track, a football field and its own mosque.
Residents have special identification badges, and cars are typically searched before entering the gates.
Mahmood Karzai was one of the main investors in the project, promoted as a triumph of modernity in Kandahar, which is the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban insurgency.
U.S. Toll in Afghanistan
2,085
Deaths
18,535
Wounded
Latest identifications
• Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey C. Baker, 29, of Hesperia, Calif.; was assigned to 766th Ordnance Company, 63rd Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group, Fort Stewart, Ga.
• Spc. Mitchell K. Daehling, 24, of Dalton, Mass.; was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
• Spc. William J. Gilbert, 24, of Hacienda Heights, Calif.; was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
• Sgt. 1st Class Trenton L. Rhea, 33, of Oakley, Kan.; was assigned to the 603rd Military Police Company, 530th Military Police Battalion, 300th Military Police Brigade, 200th Military Police Command, Belton, Mo.
Source: Department of Defense
