4 Americans dead in suicide attack at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan


A suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed four people and injured 17 more Saturday at Bagram Airfield, a large U.S. base central to NATO operations in Afghanistan. The identities of the dead have not been released, nor has the identity of the bomber.
"An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded," said a NATO statement. "Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident." However, an Afghan police official told Al Jazeera "the person who got in with the explosives must be a dual citizen and someone who has an access pass and is trusted to go without escort."
Bagram is best known as the site of a now-closed detention facility notorious for American guards' use of sometimes deadly torture on prisoners.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Update 10:55 a.m.: Defense Secretary Ash Carter said those killed were all Americans, two service members and two contractors, and that the injured included 16 Americans and one Polish soldier. It is still unknown how the bomber got into the base.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.