Suicide bomber kills at least 26 in Kabul

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: At least 26 people were killed and 18 wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Wednesday, an interior ministry spokesperson said.

The explosion, near a shrine in the west of Kabul, came as the city was celebrating the Nawruz holiday marking the start of the Persian new year.



Last week a suicide attacker blew up a bomb-laden vehicle in Kabul on Saturday, killing at least two civilians and wounding several others, an Afghan official said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack as the group comes under growing pressure to take up the Afghan government’s offer of peace talks.

Two civilians were killed and three others were wounded in the attack, Danish said. The blast happened at a time when many people would have been driving to work.

Health ministry spokesperson Wahid Majrooh told AFP at least four people had been wounded.

Deputy interior ministry spokesperson Nasrat Rahimi said the bomber was heading towards global security company G4S but “detonated himself before reaching the target”.



The deadly attack – the latest in a series in the war-weary Afghan capital – comes days after the top US general in Afghanistan said protecting the city was a priority for foreign forces.

The Taliban and its smaller rival Islamic State group have been dialing up the pressure on Kabul, launching a series of devastating attacks in recent months.