Dec. 2 Photo Brief: Napoleon letter sold for 150,000 euros, bird lovers versus squirrels, National Traffic Safety Day, Burquoi

19 photos

Napoleon letter in which he vows to blow up the Kremlin sold for 150,000 euros, on-going war between bird lovers and squirrels rages on, National Traffic Safety Day, Burquoi exhibit and more in today’s daily brief.

Suicide bombers attack U.S. base in Afghanistan
Rafiq Shirzad | Reuters
3:19 a.m. EST, December 2, 2012

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Suicide attackers detonated bombs and fired rockets outside a major U.S. base in Afghanistan on Sunday, killing five people in a brazen operation that highlighted the country’s security challenges ahead of the 2014 NATO combat troop pullout.

Local police officials said bodies in Afghan police and military uniforms were scattered around the entrance of the airfield in the eastern city of Jalalabad after a two-hour battle. A Taliban spokesman said the militant group had launched the 6 a.m. assault.

The Taliban, who have been fighting U.S.-led NATO and Afghan forces for more than a decade, sometimes dress in uniforms for attacks.

Two suicide bombers died after blowing themselves up in cars, said Nasir Ahmad Safi, a spokesman for the provincial government.

Seven other bombers were killed in the a gunbattle with Afghan and coalition forces. Three Afghan soldiers and two civilians also died, said Safi.

U.S. helicopters circled overhead.

“There were multiple suicide bombers involved,” said Major Martyn Crighton, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Several coalition troops were wounded, he said.

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