Car bomb hits restaurant frequented by foreigners

OMAR SOBHANI/REUTERS The loud blast rocked the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday, apparently caused by a vehicle bomb that targeted a restaurant popular with Afghan officials and foreign diplomats, a police official said.

The situation is reportedly under control and the wounded people have been rushed to the emergency hospital reported the officials. Police had detained one suspect and were preparing to conduct a sweep of the restaurant, Sediqqi said. The bombing occurred at a French restaurant, Le Jardin, which is popular among expatriates.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks against the Afghan security forces across the country throughout past year, following the withdrawal of foreign combat forces.

“Reports suggest that a heavy fight is still ongoing, the devoted Mujahedeen will continue its struggle to target invaders and their mercenaries”, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted on Twitter, according to the New York Times. The target of the attack was not immediately clear.

The Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday informed Senate that the first round of quadrilateral talks of Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and the United States on Afghan peace process will take place on January 16.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who said this week that terrorism had to end for the talks to succeed, condemned the latest attack.

Afghanistan sees the support of Pakistan as vital to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

On Monday, another auto bomb killed one person near the Kabul airport.

Observers say the intensifying insurgency highlights a push by the Taliban to make more military gains to try to achieve greater concessions during talks.

Afghan forces are now battling to push out Taliban insurgents who seized large swathes of the key opium-rich district of Sangin in southern Helmand province.