Eight people were killed and 40, including two Indians, were injured in a suicide bombing in Kabul’s posh diplomatic enclave on Tuesday. The Indians were working for 10 Global, an internet service provider in Afghanistan.
The bombing occurred near Heetal hotel in the Wazir Akbar Khan area, where several embassies and international organisations are located. The incident comes a day after militants killed 15 police officers at checkpoints in two Afghan provinces.
All Indian diplomats and the rest of the embassy staff are safe. President Hamid Karzai, speaking at a conference, said the blast took place near the residence of his former first vice president Ahmad Zia Massoud. Massoud, however, was unharmed.
Police sources said the blast came from a vehicle loaded with explosives. The blast created a crater in the road and destroyed two two-storeyed buildings. Windows on nearby buildings were shattered and a cloud of smoke was seen billowing from the area for several hours.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, who has regularly claimed responsibility in the past for attacks carried out by the Taliban or its allied groups, said Taliban fighters were not behind Tuesday’s bombing. “It was not carried out by our friends,” he said.
In a visit to Kabul, Mike Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said the insurgency in Afghanistan has grown “more violent, more pervasive and more sophisticated.” Mullen said the insurgents now have dominant influence in 11 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. They are also getting more effective in the use of improvised explosive devices and small-unit tactics.
Meanwhile, India has condemned the suicide attack. “We unequivocally condemn this cowardly act. Our hearts go out to the victims,” said Vishnu Prakash, ministry of external affairs spokesperson in New Delhi. Nearly 4,000 Indians are working in Afghanistan on various developmental projects.
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