Attack in Afghanistan Kills 10 From Charity That Clears Land Mines

The government blamed the Taliban for the attack on the British-American charity, the HALO Trust. The militant group denied any responsibility.

KABUL, Afghanistan — At least 10 people were killed and 16 others injured in an armed attack on staff members of a British-American charity in Afghanistan that has been clearing land mines in the country for decades, officials said on Wednesday. Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, blamed the Taliban for the attack, which occurred late Tuesday at a demining camp in the northeastern province of Baghlan and targeted employees of the HALO Trust. He said the victims were all Afghan citizens, and the wounded were transferred to hospitals. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, denied any involvement and said that the area where the “horrifying” attack had taken place was not under the militant group’s control. “We condemn attacks on the defenseless & view it as brutality,” he said on Twitter. “We have normal relations with NGOs, our Mujahidin will never carry out such brutal acts.”