At least six people were killed and 10 wounded in a powerful car bombing apparently targeting Afghanistan's defense minister Tuesday.
Several smaller explosions could be heard as well as small arms fire around the city.
According to a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, the blast took place in an upscale neighborhood, part of a security zone of Kabul and home to a number of senior government officials.
It appears that Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi and his family were evacuated to safety during the incident but Mohammadi, himseld, released a video saying that his guards had been wounded in the attack.
“I assure my beloved countrymen that such attacks cannot have any impact on my willingness to defend my countrymen and my country,” he said in the clip.
The U.S. State Department condemned the bombing.
Spokesman Ned Price said, “I’m not in a position to attribute it officially just yet, but, of course, it does bear all the hallmarks of the spate of Taliban attacks that we have seen in recent weeks,” adding, “We unequivocally condemn the bombing and we continue to stand by our Afghan partners. I think the broader point in all of this is that there is broad international consensus that there is no military solution to the conflict and that is why we’re looking at ways and means by which we can help it celebrate the peace negotiations that are ongoing.”
It was unclear what took place during the attack, but the initial explosion appeared to have allowed gunmen to enter the area though a spokesman for Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said all four attackers were eventually killed by security personnel.
Over the past day, 40 citizens have been killed and 118 injured during fighting with the Taliban.
Video: South China Morning Post