Kabul Suicide Blast: 36 Killed, 42 Hurt; Modi Extends Condolence

The area has been the scene of several attacks including the suicide attack that killed a prominent Muslim cleric.

Afghan security force members stand at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan.

(Photo Courtesy: IANS)

A Taliban suicide attacker detonated a car bomb in the western part of Kabul on 24 July, killing at least 36 people and wounding around 42.

Police said earlier that a suicide attacker had detonated a car bomb in the western part of Kabul, killing at least five, although the target of the attack remained unclear.

Police cordoned off the area, located near the house of the deputy government Chief Executive Mohammad Mohaqiq in a part of the city where many of the mainly Shi'ite Hazara community live.

The suicide bombing was yet another example of the unrelenting violence in Afghanistan.

My Heart Goes Out to Victim’ Families: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed ‘strong condemnation’ at the attack and extended his condolences for the victims’ families.

"I was in my shop when suddenly I heard a terrible sound and as a result all of my shop windows shattered," said Ali Ahmed, a resident in the area of Monday's blast.

Several prominent political leaders, such as Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq, live in western Kabul

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack on behalf of the Islamist group in a post on Twitter, saying 37 “intelligence workers” had been killed.

The Taliban often exaggerate the scale of attacks against Afghan government and foreign targets. Mujahid said the target of the attack had been two buses that had been under surveillance for two months.

Government security forces said a small bus owned by the Ministry of Mines had been destroyed in the blast.

Three civilian vehicles and 15 shops were destroyed or damaged in the blast, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The Taliban, which is battling the Western-backed government and a NATO-led coalition for control of Afghanistan, has launched a wave of attacks around the country in recent days including the suicide attack that killed prominent Shiite Muslim cleric Ramazan Hussainzada last month. Hussainzada was also a senior leader of Afghanistan's Hazara community.

(With inputs from Reuters, AP and IANS.)

(We all love to express ourselves, but how often do we do it in our mother tongue? Here's your chance! This Independence Day, khul ke bol with BOL – Love your Bhasha. Sing, write, perform, spew poetry – whatever you like – in your mother tongue. Send us your BOL at [e-mail] or WhatsApp it to 9910181818.)