ISLAMABAD – At least three people were wounded when a suicide bombertargeted a mosque at the entrance to Kabul’s fortified Green Zone at prayertime Tuesday, an official said.
The latest attack in the Afghan capital came after seven civilians werekilled in the north of the country in a roadside bomb blast authoritiesblamed on the Taliban.
No group immediately claimed the evening explosion in Kabul, which occurredat a popular mosque located on the edge of the Green Zone.
A loud blast sent shockwaves through the militarised compound, where alarmssounded at various embassies and international offices, sending staffrushing into safe rooms.
“A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a washroom at Wazir Akbar Khanmosque. Initial reports show three people wounded,” interior ministryspokesman Tareq Arian told AFP.
The attack comes on the heels of an Islamic State group-claimed bombingSaturday against a television station’s minibus in central Kabul thatkilled a journalist and the driver.
Late Monday, seven civilians were killed by a roadside bomb linked to theTaliban in northern Afghanistan, officials said, even as authoritiespressed for peace talks with the militants.
The blast struck a small truck in Kunduz province carrying a group oflabourers in the volatile district of Khan Abad.
No group claimed responsibility, but Kunduz provincial spokesman EsmatullahMuradi blamed the Taliban.
“The Taliban usually plant roadside bombs to target security forces, buttheir bombs usually kill civilians,” he told AFP.
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Despite the recent bloodshed, violence across much of Afghanistan hasdropped overall since May 24, when the Taliban announced a surprisethree-day ceasefire to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Two of six others wounded in the Kunduz blast were in critical condition,district chief Hayatullah Amiri said.
President Ashraf Ghani had welcomed the Taliban ceasefire offer andauthorities responded by announcing around 2,000 Taliban prisoners would bereleased in a “goodwill gesture” with a view to kickstarting peace talks.
Afghanistan’s former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, who has beenappointed to lead the talks, has said his team was ready to beginnegotiations “at any moment”.
Late Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a video conference withtop officials in Kabul including Ghani and his first deputy Amrullah Saleh.
While Saleh highlighted the importance of ongoing drop in violence and theneed for holding on to a ceasefire, the two sides discussed the futuresteps needed to bring peace in Afghanistan, Ghani’s office said in astatement.
The issue of the release of Taliban prisoners and the venue for theintra-Afghan peace talks were discussed in particular, it said.
Violence had surged after the Taliban signed a landmark agreement with theUnited States in February, which paves the way for the withdrawal of allforeign forces by May next year. – APP/AFP
