Kabul bomb: Dozens killed in Afghancapital's diplomatic zone

Kabul bomb: Dozens killed in Afghancapital's diplomatic zone

Kabul bomb: Dozens killed in Afghancapital's diplomatic zone

A powerful vehicle bomb has struck the
diplomatic area of the Afghan capital, Kabul,
killing at least 80 people and injuring 350.

The blast struck close to the German embassy in
Zanbaq Square with civilians said to be the main
casualties.
The wounded staggered from the site of a blast
so strong it blew out windows and doors
hundreds of metres away.
No group has yet said it carried out the bombing
but the Taliban and IS have both been behind
recent attacks.
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When and where did the attack take place?
The bomb went off at about 08:25 local time
(03:55 GMT) during the rush hour in the Afghan
capital.
Makeshift ambulances carried wounded away
from the scene as frantic relatives gathered at
the cordoned-off perimeter of the blast site.
Images showed dozens of blackened and burned
out cars.
Basir Mujahid a spokesman for Kabul police, told
Reuters news agency the explosion had taken
place close to the German embassy but added it
was "hard to say what the exact target is".
There are many other key buildings in the area,
including the presidential palace and a number
of embassies, including the British.
Some reports say the bomb was in a lorry or
water tanker.
Questions will surely be asked about how an
attack could target such a heavily fortified area.
The zone is considered the safest in the capital,
with 3m (10ft) high blast walls.
Who were the casualties?
Initial reports suggest civilians bore the brunt of
the casualties.
The health ministry said the casualty figures
were expected to rise further.
Spokesman Ismael Kawoosi said: "They are still
bringing bodies and wounded people to
hospitals."
The interior ministry has called on residents to
donate blood.
A German security source said it was unclear
whether any of Germany's embassy staff had
been killed or injured.
French officials said the country's embassy had
been damaged, along with the German embassy,
but there were no signs at this stage of any
French casualties.
India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said the
staff of its embassy, close to the blast, were
safe.
Two Japanese embassy staff members were
slightly wounded.
A journalist for Afghanistan's Tolo news agency
said some of the victims were from the Roshan
mobile phone company, but this has not been
confirmed.
Who could have been behind the attack?
No group has yet said it carried out Wednesday's
attack, but last month the Taliban announced
the start of a major spring offensive, saying their
main focus would be foreign forces, targeting
them with a mix of conventional, guerrilla, insider
and suicide attacks.
The US has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan,
with another 5,000 from Nato allies.
The Pentagon has reportedly pressed President
Donald Trump to send thousands more troops
back to the country to try to counter gains by
the Taliban. More than a third of the country is
now said to be outside Afghan government
control.
A recent Taliban attack on an Afghan army
training compound in the northern city of Mazar-
e Sharif killed at least 135 soldiers, and led to
the resignation of the defence minister and army
chief of staff.
The so-called Islamic State in Afghanistan has
also been active, saying it was behind a suicide
bomb attack this month on a Nato convoy that
was passing the US embassy in Kabul. At least
eight civilians were killed.