VOA标准英语2010年-Taliban Attack in NW Pakistan Kills 8,

Three American soldiers were among eight people killed when a roadside bomb struck their convoy¹ in northwestern Pakistan.  Taliban militants² are said to have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Authorities say a security convoy carrying five American military personnel was the target of the attack in the Lower Dir District.  The northwestern Pakistani region is a well-known former stronghold of the Taliban. 

U.S. and Pakistani officials say the American military personnel were part of a small unit training soldiers of the paramilitary force known as the Frontier Corps³ to better fight al-Qaida and Taliban militants. 

The victims were on their way to attend the opening ceremony of a school for girls that had been renovated⁴ with U.S humanitarian⁵ assistance.

District police officer Mumtaz Zareen, tells VOA that militants detonated the bomb as soon as the convoy approached the school.  He says the powerful explosion instantly killed three of the U.S. troops and a local soldier, while dozens of others were wounded. 

The police chief says the powerful explosion destroyed the school building and at least four female students were buried under the rubble⁶.  He says many others were wounded and taken to the nearby hospital.

A U.S. embassy statement condemned⁷ the attack in Lower Dir, saying it "clearly shows the vision of the terrorists."

The northwestern Pakistani region borders the scenic⁸ Swat valley and several other districts where Taliban militants had set up their bases until early last year when a major military offensive largely cleared most of the areas. 

The United States is closely cooperating with Pakistan to train the Frontier Corps paramilitary force, which is playing a leading role in the fight against al-Qaida and Taliban militants in northwestern parts of the country bordering Afghanistan.  But the force has been under-equipped and under trained for fighting an insurgency⁹. 

Pakistan has never officially announced the U.S. training mission, which has reportedly been in place since 2008.

 

1 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

4 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

7 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

8 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

9 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网