An attack killed four people and injured 14 others on Saturday when an explosive device was detonated at Bagram Airfield — the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan — early Saturday, the NATO mission there said.
The Taliban's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack in a tweet praising the Taliban's "strong attack on Bagram airfield." CNN reported.
The attack occurred around 5:30 a.m. local time as people were gathering for a post Veterans Day fun run.
In a statement, a spokesman said a Taliban suicide bomber had targeted "a sports ground where more than 100 military officers, important people and soldiers were busy exercising." The attack on the airfield had been planned for four months, he said.
The base was put on lockdown and security is searching buildings to ensure the incident is not part of a larger plot.
"To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you," Gen. John W. Nicholson, the U.S. Army's commander of Resolute Support, said in a statement.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted his support to those affected by the attack and said NATO stood with Afghanistan in the fight against terror.
Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near the base.
Please check back for updates.
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