Truck bombing in Kabul wounds 2

Published January 25, 2015
An Afghan policeman holds up his rifle at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul January 5, 2015. — Reuters/file
An Afghan policeman holds up his rifle at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul January 5, 2015. — Reuters/file

KABUL: A Taliban truck bomb exploded in the Afghan capital Sunday, wounding two people in the first attack targeting Kabul in almost three weeks, officials said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi suggested the blast, which happened just before 6 am (local time) at a gas station near Kabul's military airport, might have been a premature suicide attack.

The bombing wounded two civilians, Sediqqi said. Farid Afzeli, the head of the criminal investigation division of Kabul police, said that the truck was attempting to enter downtown Kabul when it blew up.

President Ashraf Ghani arrived about two and a half hours before the blast at the adjacent civilian airport from Saudi Arabia, where he had gone to mourn the late King Abdullah, said an official on condition of anonymity as he was unauthorised to speak with journalists.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a message on Twitter.

Kabul has been quiet since early January, when a suicide car bomber attacked the headquarters of the European police training mission, killing an Afghan civilian and wounding five.

Taliban-led insurgents have intensified their war across Afghanistan in the past year as they test Afghan security forces following the withdrawal of international combat troops.

Opinion

Editorial

‘Source of terror’
Updated 29 Mar, 2024

‘Source of terror’

It is clear that going after militant groups inside Afghanistan unilaterally presents its own set of difficulties.
Chipping in
29 Mar, 2024

Chipping in

FEDERAL infrastructure development schemes are located in the provinces. Most such projects — for instance,...
Toxic emitters
29 Mar, 2024

Toxic emitters

IT is concerning to note that dozens of industries have been violating environmental laws in and around Islamabad....
Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...