The Taliban have claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at the Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan Hospital which left six dead and injured twenty six others. That hospital is the largest military medical facility in Afghanistan. The attack comes shortly after General David Petraeus had warned the Coalition forces that there would likely be an increase in what he deemed to be “high profile” attacks as the Taliban worked to establish that it was still a threat both here and abroad. On Thursday, the first officially claimed Taliban attack was carried out when a suicide bomber rammed a motorbike into an armored car which was taking American officials to the US consulate building in Pakistan. One bystander was killed in that attack and ten others, all described as Pakistani, were wounded. Two of the Americans received what was described as “minor injuries”.

Taliban spokesman, Zabullah Mojahed went on to tell CNN News that there were other attacks that left 51 people dead. Those attacks were both carried out by suicide bombers, however only the first managed to detonate in the targeted location. The second would be suicide bomber was shot to death before fulfilling his mission.

Increased activity by the Taliban have led to some serious concerns about the proposed pull out of US troops starting in July. Afghan security forces may not be ready for that to happen, however President Obama is adamant that the time table that has been drawn up be adhered to.

There has been increasing tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan toward the NATO forces, most particularly the United States in what they have called an unacceptable number of civilian casualties. In March, nine boys, ages 9-15 were killed and a tenth wounded when NATO forces mistook them for insurgents that had attacked a NATO base a few days before. The survivor, a ten year old boy reported that they had seen the two helicopters flying quite low before they rose into the air and then came back, firing rockets and shooting. That boy was hit by a falling tree limb which shielded him from the soldier’s vision as they methodically shot and killed the others. The boys had been gathering firewood for their families when they were killed. Some of the boys had been left as the head of household, serving as the only breadwinner for poor families that had many children but no one to provide for them.

Anti-American protests erupted around the small, poor mountain village as well as other locations in Afghanistan after news of that event was released. NATO forces apologized for the deaths of the boys, as did the Secretary of Defense.

NATO’s Coalition forces are taking steps to try to reduce the number of civilian casualties but still remain a strong presence in the country. The Taliban, on the other hand are not doing the same, plotting attacks on areas that are heavily populated with non-military people, including that attack on the hospital as well as others that have only killed civilians rather than military personnel at all.