A bomb that exploded in a busy district of Kabul killed at least five people and left dozens wounded on Tuesday afternoon. The bomb was placed in the parking area of the Ministry of Justice, in a neighbourhood frequented by foreigners and civil servants in the country. It was also close to Ministry of Mines. Many other government buildings, and the Serena Hotel, Kabul’s only luxury hotel, are situated in this neighbourhood. Since the Kabul explosion took place during the rush hour, some civil servants and other people leaving their work are among the wounded.
The car that was filled with explosives was parked several blocks away from the Serena Hotel, where an international group of around 50 ambassadors were in a meeting. Serena is known to be a popular destination for many officials visiting Kabul. The hotel was the target of another attack in 2014.
“I am shaking now as a result of the blast,” a person who was in the hotel when the Kabul explosion happened said. An Associated Press reporter at the scene said that windows in buildings around the Ministry of Justice were shattered, and the building of Ministry itself was quite damaged.
Sediq Seddiqi, an official from Afghan Interior Ministry, confirmed that the bomb was placed in a car and killed five. However, the identities are those who were killed aren’t clear yet. Following the incident, the city was covered by smoke. Muhammed Ismail Kawusi, a spokesman from the Ministry of Public Health, said that 42 wounded patients were rushed to hospitals with ambulances, but this number could be expected to rise.
There wasn’t a particular group who took responsibility for today’s bombings. However, the explosion in Kabul today was the fifth major attack during the last two weeks – which were backed by Taliban. The first of these recent bombings happened two weeks after the peace talks between Taliban, and a group of government representatives.
The most recent lethal bombings happened on Sunday, which killed fourteen people including nine foreigners. The explosion on Sunday was also a car bombing, targeting a European Union vehicle. So far, the common pattern about the Kabul explosions is the fact that they targeted governmental or diplomatic entities. Investigations at the bombing scene continue.
