Suicide car bombing kills at least 4 in Afghan capital
27/11/2008 16:41
Suicide car bombing suspected of targeting convoy of international troops
this morning near US embassy in Afghan capital Kabul killed at least four and
injured 16 others, officials said.
"It occurred at around 8:30 a.m. local
time (0400 GMT) when a suicide bomber driving a car laden with explosive
material detonated himself some 100 meters from the US embassy, " said Alishah
Paktiawal, police chief of Kabul, told newsmen on the spot.
Paktiawal
confirmed that four people were killed in the blast so far but he did not
specify the status of victims just saying the number of casualties is going to
increase.
Zemarai Bashary, Interior Ministry spokesman, told the media that
the suicide bomber blew himself off as a convoy of foreign forces was passing
by.
Strong blast also damaged some buildings alongside and glass of windows
were shattering on the ground.
Meanwhile, local private Tolo put the number
of wounded as high as 16.
Earlier, an official in the Interior Ministry
declining to be named told Xinhua that the explosion happened close to the NATO-
led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) compound and some Afghan
ministerial buildings.
The body of the attacker was still lying on the spot,
the official said.
Zabihullah Mujahed, the purported Taliban spokesman,
claimed responsibility, saying one suicide bomber from Kabul committed the
attack against international troops.
Spiraling conflicts and Taliban-linked
insurgency have claimed around 5,000 people with some 2,000 civilians so far
this year in strife-torn Afghanistan while Taliban insurgents have vowed to
intensify assaults against interests of Afghan government and international
troops before the coming winter.
Xinhua
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