At least 16 people were killed and 119 others were injured in a truck bomb attack here, Afghanistan's Interior Ministry confirmed on Tuesday.
The Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) explosion which took place at around 9.55 p.m. on Monday night, targeted Green Village compound, a residential area for foreign nationals and offices, TOLO News quoted Ministry spokesman Nusrat Rahimi as saying.
He said that a fuel station in the area also caught fire in the explosion.
Rahimi said that five attackers were involved in the attack who were killed after Special Forces entered the area.
At least 400 foreign nationals were rescued from the area by police, he added.
The blast was huge enough to be heard in across the city.
Meanwhile, the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, Khaama Press reported.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that one of the suicide bombers of the group detonated the VBIED close to the Green Village.
Mujahid went on to claim that many other assailants stormed into the compound following the explosion.
But Rahimi has rejected the Taliban claim, writing on social media that "the enemies' claim that gunmen entered the Green Village complex is untrue".
The Green Village compound was earlier targeted by a truck bomb explosion in January this year in which four people were killed and 90 others wounded.
Monday's explosion came hours after Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met visiting US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad earlier on Monday, where the two discussed the latest round of negotiations between Taliban representatives and an American delegation in Qatar.
Festival of democracy enters second leg with 88 Lok Sabha seats across India set to vote
While 89 constituencies were slated to go to polls in the second phase, as per the initial announcement by the Election Commission, voting in Madhya Pradesh's Betul was advanced to the third phase on May 7 following the death of the BSP candidate in the fray.
Tripura BJP issues show-cause notice to party leader for slamming TMP chief Pradyot Debbarma
A day before the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP in Tripura on Thursday served a show cause-notice to one of the party’s Vice-Presidents, Patal Kanya Jamatia, who accused Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma of “spreading hatred” among tribals and non-tribals in the state.
PM Modi ups ante against Congress, says Rajiv Gandhi abolished inheritance law to 'save own interests'
Upping the ante against the Congress on the 'inheritance tax' issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched another scathing attack on the grand old party, saying it was former PM Rajiv Gandhi who abolished the inheritance law "to save their own interests" after the demise of his mother Indira Gandhi.
Multi-cornered contest in Tripura East LS seat going to polls on Friday
A multi-cornered contest will be witnessed in the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat, which goes to the polls in the second phase of the 7-phase parliamentary elections on Friday.
Credit card data of 17K ICICI Bank users exposed; bank blocks cards, assures compensation
After credit card data of at least 17,000 new ICICI Bank customers was exposed and reached "wrong users", the bank said on Thursday that it has blocked these cards and is issuing new ones to the customers.
TRIPURA: BSF jawan on election duty dies after rifle accidently goes off
In a tragic incident amid the preparation for the second phase of polling in Tripura, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan, who was engaged in election duty died after his rifle went off accidentally.
13.96 lakh voters to cast vote in 1664 Polling stations tomorrow
Although nine candidates are in the fray in the Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency, the main battle will be mainly between BJP candidate Kirit Singh Debbarma and CPIM candidate Rajendra Reang.
CM leads campaign with vigor, Completes 30 rallies, 18 road shows covering over 6,000 km
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha vigorously campaigned for BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha elections & Bidhan Sabha by-election, participating in 30 public rallies, 18 road shows, and 7 padyatras.