VZCZCXRO1496
OO RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1057 0920953
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020953Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7200
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 3908

UNCLAS KABUL 001057 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DOD FOR USDP EDELMAN 
STATE FOR SCA/FO A/S BOUCHER AND SAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A, 
S/CRS, SCA/PB, S/CT, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC PASS TO AHARRIMAN 
OSD FOR SHIVERS 
CG CJTF-76, POLAD, JICCENT 
REL TO NATO/AUS/NZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ASEC MARR AF
SUBJECT: ATTACK ON PRT MEHTARLAM KILLS CHILDREN AND ANA 
MEMBERS ON HUMANITARIAN MISSION 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) At approximately 1445 local time on April 1, PRT 
Mehtarlam sustained a vehicle borne suicide attack on the 
front gate of the ANA side of the compound.  The lone driver 
attacked an ANA convoy entering the gate with his white 
Toyota Camry or Corolla.  Governor Mangal reported that three 
children and an adult from the area were killed in the attack 
along with the driver.  Six to eight ANA soldiers and four 
local nationals (another adult and three children) were 
wounded.  There were no U.S. casualties. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The convoy was returning from operations to assist 
victims of recent flooding in nearby Qarghayi district.  The 
provincial hospital in Mehtarlam and the PRT provided medical 
care for the victims.  Two ANA soldiers and a three year old 
child with critical injuries were evacuated to Bagram for 
medical care. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack 
and stated that Abdul Karim of Nangahar province was the 
driver.  The PRT has been unable to confirm the claim and has 
doubts about its legitimacy because several other groups had 
also announced their intention to conduct similar attacks. 
The PRT's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team conducted an 
assessment of the area of the blast and determined the 
vehicle contained six 82mm mortar rounds and approximately 
200 pounds of ANFO or other blasting agent. 
 
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT.  The attack ended a period of relative 
quiet in the province.  This is the first VBIED attack in 
Laghman and the first direct attack on the base since a few 
mortar rounds were lobbed at the PRT in October 2006.  There 
was only one IED road attack in Laghman in the past month and 
even this attack was reported by the local population to the 
ANP before it could be detonated.  The cumulative effect of 
today's attack puts those responsible in a very bad light as 
the attack failed in its goal of killing ANSF or coalition 
forces, murdered innocent children, and hit an ANA convoy 
just returned from assisting Afghans suffering from a natural 
disaster.  We are working with the Afghan National 
Communications Coordination Center (NC3) to highlight ANSF 
work in responding to the flood and the costs ot the 
population of such attacks.  END COMMENT. 
NEUMANN