KABUL – Humanitarian groups were reeling Thursday from yet another attacktargeting aid workers in Afghanistan, as officials confirmed nine peoplehad been killed in a Taliban attack in Kabul a day earlier.
Wednesday’s attack outside Counterpart International, a non-profit groupworking with marginalised people in Afghanistan, began with an immenseblast from a car bomb in a busy commercial area in central Kabul.
Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the death toll had risen tonine, including five members of the Afghan security forces, a guard atCounterpoint and three civilians.
Anti-poverty group CARE, which has offices close to CounterpartInternational, said three of its workers — a driver, a watchman and atechnical advisor — were killed in the blast.
“This attack reflects the increasing dangers of humanitarian work inconflict-affected countries such as Afghanistan and the unfortunate dailyreality of violence for many Afghan families,” CARE said in a statement.
In addition, 20 civilians were wounded in the attack, which saw severalTaliban gunmen storm the Counterpoint compound after the blast. They wereall killed after Afghan commandos led an hours-long clearance operation.
Wednesday’s massive explosion felled trees and toppled dense concrete blastwalls on the street outside Counterpart.
The blast radius extended hundreds of metres (yards) in all directions,blowing out windows in nearby homes and businesses.
Dozens of workers could be seen sweeping debris and broken glass fromstreets in the popular Shahr-e-Naw neighbourhood in central Kabul, which ishome to shops, restaurants and hotels.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying CounterpartInternational was targeted because it promoted the “inter-mixing” of menand women.
Insurgent spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter the aid group hadmentored “Kabul admin workers in various aspects of brutality, oppression,terror, anti-Islamic ideology & promotion of western culture.”
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 30aid workers were killed last year in Afghanistan — one of the mostdangerous countries for humanitarians.
Afghanistan was once a hub of foreign aid but deteriorating security hasseen international groups downgrade their presence, making it even moredifficult to deliver crucial help to the war-torn country’s most vulnerablecitizens.
Several aid groups, including Save the Children, have been the target ofterror attacks and have suspended operations in the wake of the assaults.
Wednesday’s attack came even as US and Taliban officials were meeting inQatar for peace talks. -APP/AFP