KABUL: A suicide bombing near the Afghan capital killed three people and wounded 15 on Wednesday, the interior ministry said, as violence in the war-torn nation threatens a fragile peace process.

The attack appeared to target an Afghan special forces camp on the outskirts of Kabul, a security source said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast during Ramazan, amid the coronavirus pandemic and United States-led efforts for peace talks between the Taliban militia and the Afghan government.

“A suicide bomber detonated his explosives among civilians,” interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said in a statement, adding that the blast happened in the Char Asiab district of Kabul province, about 11km from the capital.

Hopes for an end to Afghanistan’s decades of war were raised in late February when the Taliban militants and the United States struck a deal for the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces in exchange for Taliban security guarantees.

In the run-up to the pact, there was a one-week reduction in violence, but attacks and bombings have continued since, with the Taliban having rejected calls for a ceasefire.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2020