AFGHANISTAN-A truck driven by a Taliban suicide bomber struck an advance combat outpost in the central east Wardak province at 5:15 pm on Saturday. Reports indicate that 89 people were injured in the attack, including 77 American soldiers.

A NATO statement says there were a “significant number of injuries.” The statement also said none of the injuries is immediately life threatening. Although, the Associated Press says two civilians were killed in the blast.

The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on their Internet site.

The International Security Assistance Force said in a statement, “A Taleban suicide bomber detonated a large vehicle-borne improvised explosive device at the entrance of Combat Outpost Sayed Abad, Wardak province, yesterday (Saturday).” They added that the truck was carrying firewood, and that “Most of the force of the explosion was absorbed by the protective barrier at the outpost entrance.”

The attack came just hours after the Taliban made a statement aimed at Washington calling the invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11 “a permanent stigma on the face of Western democracy.”

The coalition death toll in “Operation Enduring Freedom” is almost 2,700 at last count.