Seven killed in Taliban attack on Spanish embassy in Kabul

The attack has left at least six people dead, including two Spanish police officers.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the massive explosion that shook buildings in the area Friday, with spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber. “They wished the injured a speedy recovery”, said a press statement issued by the Security Council.

A total of 12 guests trapped in the targeted building were rescued by the police, the statement added.

The incident caused confusion in Spain, as Rajoy initially insisted to television audiences during an election rally that the embassy had not come under attack.

The Spanish embassy was earlier reported to be the target of the attack, but Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy clarified that the assault took place near it and not on the compound.

The Spanish police officer has been identified as Isidro Gabino Sanmartín Hernández, 48 years old, a member of the Spanish police force that guards Spanish diplomatic compounds around the world, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Madrid later confirmed that a Spanish policeman was killed in the vehicle bomb, and the second died of injuries sustained in the attack later in hospital.

In related news, A United Nations report said that at least 848 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded following a Taliban attack on the northern city of Kunduz in September.

“Afghan Police Special Forces have killed all the attackers who were involved in last night terrorist attack in Kabul”, the Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi wrote in a tweet hours later.

The police forces arrived at the scene in a couple of minutes, while the victims of the attack included two Spanish citizens, one afghan citizens, five police personnel and four attackers.

Abdul Jabar, district chief for the Borka district, came under attack on the main road near Puli Khumri, the provincial capital. Basharat said that Jabar’s driver and two of his bodyguards were abducted by the insurgents and police forces were searching for them.

The powerful UN Security Council (UNSC) has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in the vicinity of Spanish Embassy and expressed serious concern about threats posed by Taliban, Al Qaeda and Daesh affiliates in Afghanistan.