Spicejet flight escapes Taliban bombing at Kabul airport

Intelligence sources have reported that rocket were fired at Kabul airport around 12.30pm India time. Even as 5 Afghan helicopters were damaged, a Spicejet flight that was scheduled to take off around the same time, was not affected.

The flight left later after brief airport shutdown.

This is the second consecutive attack on the Afghanistan's capital city, that is still reeling from a prolonged war. On Wednesday, Taliban suicide attacked an Afghan military bus kills 8 officers, injuring 13 officials.

Even though, Afghan capital has been relatively peaceful since the presidential election on June 14, there have been street demonstrations as politicians are locked in a dispute over vote fraud. "As a result of a suicide attack this morning on an ANA (Afghan National Army) air force bus in (west) Kabul, eight army officers were martyred and 13 wounded," defence ministry spokesman General Zahir Azimi said in a statement. "The wounded personnel have been taken to hospital." Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the interior ministry, told AFP that five civilians were also wounded in the attack that targeted the bus as it took military staff to work.

The Taliban used a recognised Twitter account to claim responsibility for the blast, adding that the suicide attacker approached the vehicle on foot before detonating his explosives-packed vest. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that at least 25 people had been killed on the bus, though the insurgents regularly exaggerate death tolls after attacks.