KABUL – At least eight people were killed and dozens more wounded Fridaywhen a bomb detonated near a major university in Kabul while students werewaiting to take an exam, officials said.
The blast comes amid an unending wave of violence across Afghanistan, wherecivilians are being killed every day in the country’s gruelling conflict,now in its 18th year.
The Taliban denied any involvement in Friday’s blast, which took place nearthe southern entrance to Kabul University, an official with the interiorministry’s media office told AFP.
Health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar said the death toll had reachedeight, with another 33 injured.
“Wounded patients have been receiving the required medical and surgicaltreatment,” he said on Twitter.
The heavily militarised Afghan capital remains one of the highest-profiletargets for both the Taliban and the so-called Islamic State group, withboth regularly launching devastating attacks that often kill and maimcivilians.
Bahar Mehr, the interior ministry official, said five people had beenkilled including a traffic police officer.
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“The wounded were law students gathered for (an examination). We do notknow how many students had gathered there,” he said.
The blast had been caused by a sticky bomb, he said, a common threat inKabul where criminals and insurgents often slap explosives under vehicles.
Local media reports said police had been pursuing the vehicle when itdetonated.
“The university and the examination ceremony were not the targets of theattack, and we are investigating,” Firdaws Faramarz, Kabul policespokesman, told TV network TOLO.
Last week, IS claimed responsibility for a suicide attack at a weddingceremony in Nangarhar province.The hardline Sunni extremists have a growing footprint in Afghanistan andthe United States wants to leave a counter-terrorism force in the countryto tackle them in the event of a peace deal with the Taliban.
