Apparently the vehicle drove onto the runway and burst into flames as Panetta’s plane was landing for his surprise visit. Obviously the surprise visit was not much of a surprise at all.
Fears are growing that U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta was the target of a suicide bomber at Britain’s main base in Afghanistan today.
A vehicle drove onto the runway at Camp Bastion and exploded into flames at the same time as Mr Panetta’s plane was landing. Unconfirmed sources say it was a suicide attack.
It comes just days after a rogue U.S. soldier massacred 16 civilians on a rampage – and weeks after American troops were caught burning Korans.
And it has posed massive questions over security at the base.
The driver, a local male civilian employed at the base, is being treated at Camp Bastion’s hospital for his injuries, a spokeswoman at the base said.
One British serviceman suffered minor injures in an earlier incident which may be linked to the same vehicle.
The spokeswoman added: ‘Procedures were put in place to account for the whereabouts of all military and civilian personnel and, to achieve this, movement within Camp Bastion was restricted.’
Ministry of Defence police patrolled roads inside the base today in the wake of the incident.

Flights and movements in and out were restricted throughout the afternoon while it was investigated and were lifted later on.
Bastion is home to a large contingent of U.S. troops as well as UK forces. The blast came as Leon Panetta meet with troops, commanders and Afghan government officials.
Mr Panetta’s visit was planned months ago, long before the weekend slaughter by a rogue U.S. soldier that claimed the lives of 16 villagers, including women and children.
It also comes on the same day it emerged the U.S. soldier who massacred 16 Afghan civilians was caught on surveillance video – showing him walking up to his base, laying down his weapon and raising his arms in surrender.
An Afghan official said that the U.S. showed Afghan authorities the surveillance video to prove that only one perpetrator was involved in the Sunday shootings, an account which has been disputed.

The trip propels Mr Panetta into the centre of escalating anti-American anger and sets the stage for some difficult discussions with Afghan leaders.
Mr Panetta, who has said the rogue soldier could face the death penalty, told Afghan officials that recent violence will not deter the United States from carrying out its mission in Afghanistan.
The trip is the first significant visit from a U.S. dignitary since the killings, which many had worried would spark another wave of deadly riots like those that followed the burning of Qurans at a U.S. base last month.
Nearly a week of violent demonstrations and attacks left more than 30 dead, including six U.S. soldiers killed apparent reprisal attacks. Six British soldiers also died last week when their armoured vehicle was blown up. Continue reading. h/t Freedom 1781.