Taliban following lead of militant Iraqis

Taliban following lead of militant Iraqis
By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer

KABUL, Afghanistan - The Toyota Corolla careened toward a military convoy and exploded into a huge ball of fire. This time, the bomb detonated too soon and the two attackers only killed themselves.

But the Taliban commander in Zabul province, site of Wednesday's failed attack, promised more and deadlier to come. And no doubt they will.

Once rare in Afghanistan, grisly suicide attacks and roadside bombings are a rapidly growing threat here as Taliban militants follow the lead of insurgents in Iraq.

Military data obtained by The Associated Press shows that 38 suicide attacks were recorded in Afghanistan in the first six months of 2006, compared to just 11 in the previous six, a more than threefold increase.

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