A series of brutal attacks across Afghanistan made yesterday the deadliest day of the year so far for the country's civilians. At least 48 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in shootings and bombings, including a triple suicide bombing in the normally peaceful province of Nimruz, which borders Iran. Bombers there targeted a bazaar bustling with people buying treats for the end-of-Ramadan holiday this weekend, and then attacked a hospital where the injured from the first blast where being treated and where worried relatives had gathered, reports the Los Angeles Times.
This morning, at least nine people were injured in a mosque in eastern Afghanistan when grenades were thrown inside during morning prayers. The attacks are seen as a Taliban show of force and an attempt to weaken the country's security forces, who will take control across the country in 28 months as NATO departs. The Taliban "want to expand their influence—show that they are everywhere," an Afghan political analyst tells the AP. "They want to show that the Afghan police are not strong enough so they are targeting the security forces and the government." (More Afghanistan stories.)