Female suicide bomber in Kabul kills 12, including 8 South Africans

Sept. 18, 2012

KABUL, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber rammed a car packed with explosives into a mini-bus carrying foreign aviation workers to the airport in the Afghan capital early Tuesday, killing at least 12 people including eight South Africans.

A militant group claimed the attack aimed to avenge an anti-Islam film that ridicules the Prophet Muhammad.

Haroon Zarghoon, a spokesman for the Islamist militant group HizS E N S O RIslami, claimed responsibility for the dawn attack in telephone call to The Associated Press. He said it was carried out by a 22-year-old woman named Fatima. Suicide bombings carried out by women are extremely rare in Afghanistan — and few if any women drive cars.

“The anti-Islam film hurt our religious sentiments and we cannot tolerate it,” Zarghoon said. He said the 22-year-old Fatima volunteered to be the suicide bomber.