Alwaght- A suicide car bomb rocked a highly secure diplomatic area of Kabul on Wednesday morning, killing at least 90 and injuring hundreds more.
The huge explosion occurred at the peak of Kabul’s rush hour in Wazir Akbar Khan district where roads are packed with worktime commuters. The neighborhood is considered Kabul’s safest area, with foreign embassies protected by dozens of 10-foot-high blast walls and government offices, guarded by police and national security forces. The German Embassy, Indian Embassy, the Foreign Ministry and the Presidential Palace are all in the area.
Associated Press cited the Afghan government's media center as saying Ninety people have been killed and 400 injured in the powerful car bomb blast.
The blast was so huge that it dug a big crater as deep as four meters.
Despite the high death toll among local residents, the foreign embassies have not reported any fatalities among their staff.
The Taliban denied responsibility and said they condemned attacks that have no legitimate target and killed civilians. ISIS terrorist group, the other main militant group active in Afghanistan, has carried out high profile attacks in Kabul, including an attack on a military hospital in March that killed more than 50 people.
Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan's Interior Ministrysaid told Associated Press that the blast was so heavy that more than 30 vehicles were either destroyed or damaged at the site of the attack.
“We don’t know at this moment what was the target of the attack, but most of the casualties are civilians,” said Danish.
Windows were shattered in shops, restaurants and other buildings up to a kilometer from the blast site.
“There are a large number of casualties, but I don’t know, how many people are killed or wounded,” said an eyewitness at the site, Gul Rahim.
Last month, the Afghan Taliban announced the beginning of their spring offensive, promising to build their political base in the country while focusing military assaults on the international coalition and Afghan security forces.
