Bombs being planted inside human corpses

Posted By Tobi Cohen
From: http://www.thesudburystar.com

Coalition forces in Afghanistan are being warned to look out for a gruesome and unusual tactic being used by insurgents. The International Security Assistance Force said bomb makers in Kandahar province, where Canadian troops have been stationed for the last two years, have twice in recent days used human corpses to hide IEDs.

The first such IED was planted on the body of a decapitated Afghan national found in a cemetery on Dec. 21, ISAF spokesman Brig.-Gen. Carlos Branco said Monday.

Two Afghans were killed and two others were injured when the bomb exploded.

Nobody was hurt after a second "booby-trapped" body was discovered Sunday about 18 kilometres away from the first incident.

"We cannot establish a pattern. This is not the beginning of something," Branco insisted.

"So far this is sporadic."

A common war tactic elsewhere, including Vietnam and Mozambique, Branco said it happened once before in Afghanistan in August 2006.

Insurgents use all kinds of things to hide IEDs including animals and other objects, Branco added.

While it's believed the insurgents killed the two men before using their bodies as bombs, Branco wouldn't speculate on why they might have done this.

The Taliban have been known to kill civilians as a means of intimidation but Branco couldn't say whether the target was civilian or military.

"The only thing I can tell you is we are going to take measures to spread the information to our troops and to be very cautious in similar situations," he said.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the absolute disgraceful use of human corpses to place IEDs."

"For insurgents to use such tactics goes far beyond the pale of human decency, desecrating human remains in such a way."

IEDs remain among the biggest headaches for Canadian troops as they try to boost security in southern Afghanistan.

They are responsible for the majority of Canada's 73 combat deaths and most recently sent three soldiers to hospital after their convoy struck a device in Kandahar's Arghandab district.