10 killed, 60 injured in bomb blast in Kabul

An explosion has rocked the diplomatic area of the Afghan capital, Kabul, police have said, with at least three people killed and 18 injured.

US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces ended their combat mission in Afghanistan in December past year, although a 13,000-strong residual force remains for training and counter-terrorism operations.

A foreigner was among 12 people killed in the blast, with 66 others – including women and children – wounded, health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar said on Twitter. The blast occurred Saturday evening at around 4.15 local time with government employees returning home from work.

Parts of the vehicle ripped apart by the force of the blast were scattered along the street.

It was not immediately possible to reconcile the differing casualty figures, though conflicting information is common after such attacks. Najib Danish, a deputy Inside Ministry spokesman, stated the assault destroyed greater than a dozen civilian automobiles parked on the street and passing by.

“Islamic Emirate mujahideen are not behind today’s suicide attack”. Three coalition service members have died in the same period.

On August 7, a Taliban attack on a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military base near Kabul’s global airport killed an American soldier and eight Afghan contractors.

A series of attacks around the city on that day left almost 60 people dead and hundreds injured.

The Afghan Foreign Minister was accompanied by Mr. Masoom Stanekzai, Acting Defence Minister and Mr. Rahmatullah Nabil, Director General of Afghan National Directorate of Security and others, a press release issued from the office of Foreign Office Spokesperson here said.

Worldwide aid organizations, including the German government aid agency GIZ, have reportedly evacuated many of their expatriate employees, with some relocating operations to Dubai and elsewhere. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid sent an email to media denying his group was responsible for the explosion.