Tragic blast
At least ten Afghan civilians were killed and over 35 were wounded in the northern province of Parwan on Tuesday night when a small magnetized bomb created a hole in the side of a fuel tanker bound for a U.S. military base at Bagram, and a second explosion caused a massive fire (BBC,Reuters,CNN,AP,Dawn,AFP,AJE). Dozens of people had gathered around the leaking fuel tanker to collect fuel before it was engulfed in flames, though it was unclear what had caused the second blast. An Afghan official announced Wednesday the next 17 provinces in which control may be transitioned from NATO to Afghan security forces (AP,Reuters,Tel,AFP). President Hamid Karzai will make the official transition announcement on November 2.
Some Afghans have voiced their apprehension about a recently signed Indian-Afghan strategic partnership agreement that riled Pakistan, saying Afghanistan should not become involved in the protracted conflict between India and Pakistan, particularly c