TWO ROCKETS HIT THE MAIN INTERNATIONAL MILITARY BASE IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN WOUNDING 10 PEOPLE INCLUDING TWO CANADIAN SOLDIERS, MILITARY OFFICIALS SAID ON SATURDAY. VIOLENCE HAS SURGED IN AFGHANISTAN IN RECENT MONTHS TO ITS WORST LEVEL SINCE THE TALIBAN WERE OUSTED IN 2001. MORE THAN 1,100 PEOPLE, INCLUDING ABOUT 50 FOREIGN TROOPS, HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE JANUARY. TWO 107 MM ROCKETS HIT THE MAIN FOREIGN MILITARY BASE AT THE AIRPORT IN THE TOWN OF KANDAHAR ON FRIDAY EVENING. TALIBAN OCCASIONALLY FIRE ROCKETS INTO THE SPRAWLING BASE, HOME TO 7,000 SOLDIERS AND CIVILIAN WORKERS, BUT THEY USUALLY EXPLODE HARMLESSLY ON OPEN GROUND. FRIDAY'S ATTACK WAS THE FIRST TIME ANYONE HAD BEEN HURT. "TWO EXPLOSIONS OCCURRED WITHIN THE PERIMETER OF KANDAHAR AIR FIELD," REUTERS QUOTED THE CANADIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN, MAJOR MARC THERIAULT AS SAYING. "ONE OF THEM OCCURRED IN A COMMON AREA AND SEVERAL PEOPLE FROM VARIOUS NATIONS WERE WOUNDED, AMONG THEM TWO CANADIAN SOLDIERS," HE SAID. THE U.S. MILITARY SAID 10 PEOPLE WERE HURT. THREE PEOPLE HAD BEEN TREATED FOR INJURIES AND RELEASED, SIX WERE IN STABLE CONDITION AND ONE WAS IN SERIOUS CONDITION, IT SAID. IT GAVE NO MORE DETAILS. THE TALIBAN COMMANDER FOR SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN, MULLAH DADULLAH, CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY. "WE FIRED SEVERAL ROCKETS AT THE AIR BASE AND THEY HIT THEIR TARGET," SAID DADULLAH, SPEAKING BY TELEPHONE FROM AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION. "WE WILL CARRY OUT MORE SUCH ATTACKS."
