Huge blast targets French restaurant in Kabul

Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said in a tweet that police had arrested one suspect.

Afghan residents look on as they sit in front of their damaged houses near the site of a suicide vehicle bomb attack at a French restaurant- Le Jardin in Kabul on January 2, 2016.

The restaurant is one of just a handful that is still frequented by foreigners and around 15 people were also injured in the Taliban attack.

Of course, there are no active peace negotiations in Afghanistan at any rate, with the Taliban withdrawing after the death of their founder Mullah Omar.

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

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said the suicide bomber had targeted a restaurant that belonged to foreigners. “As a result of the explosion one of our citizens was martyred and 13 others were wounded”, said Rahimi.

“Terrorist attacks killing innocent civilians is an unforgivable crime and unjustified in any religion”, he said in a statement.

In recent months, the Taliban has seized several district centers in Helmand, which borders Pakistan and sits on transport routes for lucrative drugs and weapons contraband.

In August, the US Embassy in Afghanistan warned of possible Taliban attacks in Taimani, an area with many foreign embassies and government buildings.

The attack came a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced a new effort to restart peace talks with the Taliban.

Officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States are scheduled to meet January 11 in Islamabad to begin discussing solutions to the conflict.

Afghanistan is still gripped by insecurity 14 years after the USA and its allies attacked the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror.