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Roundup: Taliban claims responsibility for twin blasts in Kabul

Xinhua, September 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Taliban militants fighting the government to regain power have claimed responsibility for twin blasts that went off near the fortified defense ministry on Monday claiming 24 lives besides injuring 91 others including security personnel and civilians.

In the deadly incidents, according to the spokesman for Public Health Ministry, Ismael Kawusi, two dozen people have lost their lives and more than 90 injured who have been taken to hospitals for medical treatment.

"Based on the latest information collected from concerned sources and hospitals, 24 people including civilians and security personnel were killed and 91 others injured in the twin blasts that hit near defense ministry today afternoon," Kawusi told Xinhua.

However, eyewitnesses believed that the casualties might go higher than reported by officials.

Meantime, Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi in talks with media has confirmed that one police officer is also among those killed in the deadly attacks.

According to Sediqi, an explosive device went off in front of the second police district, which is next to defense ministry, causing casualties, and when security personnel rushed to the site of the blast to rescue the injured people, a suicide bomber blew himself up killing and injuring people at nearby.

The twin blasts occurred at 03:30 p.m. local time when the employees of defense ministry were coming out from the gate after their duties.

Defense Ministry is located next to the Finance Ministry, the Presidential Palace, and the Petroleum and Mines Ministry among other government buildings.

A busy road is located in front of the Defense Ministry, where hundreds of civilian vehicles and pedestrians travel to the downtown city.

This is the third terrorist attack conducted by militant groups on the same road against defense ministry over the past couple of years.

Zabihullah Majahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in contact with media claimed responsibility for the twin attacks, insisting huge casualties inflicted to the personnel of defense ministry.

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a statement released by his office blamed the "enemies of Afghanistan" for organizing the deadly bombings and condemned it with strongest term.

Meantime, local observers blamed security lapse for the deadly double bombings, saying that security slips would enable Taliban and associated groups to conduct subversive activities even in the fortified capital city Kabul. Endit