Deadly explosion rocks Afghanistan’s diplomatic district

A suspected car bomb killed at least 80 people and injured more than 350 others when it ripped through a highly secure area of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday. The explosion occurred during the capital city’s rush hour, with the streets packed with commuters. Afghan public health ministry spokesman Ismail Kawasi said civilians, including women and children, accounted for most of the casualties. The BBC confirmed on Twitter one of its drivers, Mohammed Nazir, died in the blast and four of its journalists were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Germany’s Foreign Ministry said the attack killed one of its Afghan guards and injured some of its employees at its embassy. The district, which houses several embassies and the presidential palace, is known as one of the safest in the city. The Afghan Taliban denied responsibility for the attack. Its spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement that the explosion had “nothing to do with the Mujahedeen of Islamic Emirate,” another name for the Taliban. Islamic State and the Taliban have staged repeated attacks in Afghanistan’s capital city.

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