*KABUL: *At least six people were killed and 16 more wounded in a suicideblast outside a military academy in the Afghan capital on Thursday, anofficial said.
The attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group, targeted studentsleaving the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in western Kabul.
Kabul police spokesperson Firdaws Faramarz said the suicide bomber had beenon foot. He blew himself up when a soldier challenged him near the entranceto the war college.
“In the blast, 16 people were wounded and six were martyred,” Faramarz said.
The attacker “detonated himself before reaching his target”, he added,without providing further details.
The attack happened around noon (0730 GMT), a time when students typicallyleave school early during the month of Ramazan.
The Afghan IS affiliate said it had carried out the attack and claimed tohave killed“50 military trainees”.
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Police and security forces in and around Kabul have come under frequentattack in recent weeks, even as the US and the Taliban have held talksabout a possible peace agreement.
Opened in 2005 and named after former vice president Mohammed Fahim, theMarshal Fahim academy is modelled after US and British war colleges andtrains cadets destined to become officers in Afghanistan’s army.
A large annexe to the university is home to dozens of NATO troops whomentor the Afghan cadets.
The explosion was not believed to have affected operations at that centre,which lies behind multiple layers of tight security. -APP/AFP
