From the New York Times: The operatives killed in a suicide attack at a C.I.A. base in southeast Afghanistan were responsible for collecting intelligence on militant networks in Afghanistan and Pakistan and plotting missions to kill their top leaders, American officials said Thursday.

Seven of the eight Americans killed in the attack Wednesday afternoon at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost Province were C.I.A. officers, and one of the victims was the base chief, the officials said. Another six agency employees were wounded, the agency said.

The attack was the single deadliest episode for the spy agency in the eight years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. It was carried out by a bomber wearing a suicide vest under an Afghan National Army uniform, NATO officials said Thursday, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack…

A NATO official said the bomber managed to elude security and reach an area near the base’s gym. Among other questions raised was whether the bomber worked at the base and had clearance, or if a security slip allowed him to gain entry. (graphic: Pakistan Times)