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CNN Live At Daybreak

Deadly Explosion in Afghanistan

Aired January 31, 2003 - 05:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get right to that deadly explosion in Afghanistan now. At least 18 people are dead. The blast took place on a road in the town of Rambaha near Kandahar.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us live from Kabul with the latest -- what happened?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Yes, this small bus was packed with Afghan civilians. It was wrecked as it passed over a land mine which had been placed on the highway. The blast took place just south of the City of Kandahar, which, as you know, is in southern Afghanistan. The land mine was, indeed, placed on purpose on the highway. It wasn't one of these discarded land mines, of which there are so many in Afghanistan.

Local military commanders are blaming the attack on fighters loyal to renegade warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. We understand his troops also include renegade remnant units of the Taliban and al Qaeda.

There are conflicting reports at this time about the number of dead. Khan Muhammad Khan (ph), he's the chief military commander of the region, has confirmed to CNN eight dead and two injured. Khalid Pashtun, he's the spokesman for the provincial governor, has said there are 18 people dead. So at this time I must stress that there are conflicting reports about the death toll, but we hope to clarify this later on.

It's one of the latest attacks in this region. It's just north, in fact, of the scene of heavier fighting earlier in the week, where U.S. aircraft and U.S. ground troops were engaged against a hold out of fighters also of Hekmatyar -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Karl Penhaul reporting live from Afghanistan this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 31, 2003 - 05:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get right to that deadly explosion in Afghanistan now. At least 18 people are dead. The blast took place on a road in the town of Rambaha near Kandahar.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us live from Kabul with the latest -- what happened?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Yes, this small bus was packed with Afghan civilians. It was wrecked as it passed over a land mine which had been placed on the highway. The blast took place just south of the City of Kandahar, which, as you know, is in southern Afghanistan. The land mine was, indeed, placed on purpose on the highway. It wasn't one of these discarded land mines, of which there are so many in Afghanistan.

Local military commanders are blaming the attack on fighters loyal to renegade warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. We understand his troops also include renegade remnant units of the Taliban and al Qaeda.

There are conflicting reports at this time about the number of dead. Khan Muhammad Khan (ph), he's the chief military commander of the region, has confirmed to CNN eight dead and two injured. Khalid Pashtun, he's the spokesman for the provincial governor, has said there are 18 people dead. So at this time I must stress that there are conflicting reports about the death toll, but we hope to clarify this later on.

It's one of the latest attacks in this region. It's just north, in fact, of the scene of heavier fighting earlier in the week, where U.S. aircraft and U.S. ground troops were engaged against a hold out of fighters also of Hekmatyar -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Karl Penhaul reporting live from Afghanistan this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com