Suicide blast hits army vehicle in Kabul; 7 injured

KABUL): Three civilians and four Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were injured when a suicide bomber on foot blew himself up near a vehicle of the troops in Kabul on Saturday, officials said.

The blast took place at 4:30pm on a road in the Ahmad Shah Baba Mina locality east of Kabul city in the limits of 12th police district, Gen. Qadam Shah Shaheen, the commander of 111 Afghan Military Corps, told Pajhwok Afghan News from the scene. The attacker died and three civilians and four ANA personnel were injured in the blast, he said.

The attacker blew himself up after a brief gunfire at the army soldiers. The blast shattered windowpanes of nearby shops and residences, Shaheen said.

The attack took place one kilometer away from the main Kabul Military Training centre.

Kabul police chief, Col. Mohammad Zahir, told Pajhwok Afghan News the attacker was yet to be identified, but an investigation had been opened. The attacker was on foot and he detonated explosives strapped to his body near a vehicle carrying ANA personnel, he said.

It was the sixth attack in the capital since the year started. Violence has escalated in previously peaceful areas of Afghanistan in recent months.

Last week, four suicide bombers attacked a US military base on the eastern outskirts of Kabul with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire.

President Hamid Karzai, meanwhile, condemned the suicide attack on ANA troops. In a statement issued from his office, Karzai said the enemies of Afghanistan would not be able to meet their goals through launching such attacks on Afghan security forces.

However, the statement put at 10 the number of people, including three civilians and seven ANA soldiers, wounded in the attack.

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