Massive Kabul truck bomb kills 90, wounds hundreds

KABUL: At least 90 people were killed and hundreds wounded Wednesday when a massive truck bomb ripped through Kabul's diplomatic quarter, bringing carnage to the streets of the Afghan capital just days into the holy fasting month of Ramazan.

The victims appeared mainly to have been Afghan civilians.

Bloodied corpses littered the scene and a huge cloud of smoke rose from the highly-fortified area which houses foreign embassies after the rush-hour attack tore a massive crater in the ground and blew out windows several miles away.

No group has so far claimed the powerful blast, which officials said was caused by 1,500 kilogrammes (1.6 US tonnes) of explosives hidden inside a sewage tanker, in what appeared to be a major intelligence failure.

Rescue workers were digging bodies from the rubble hours after the explosion, many of them disfigured and charred, as anguished residents searched for missing relatives. Dozens of mangled and upturned cars choked the roads as wounded survivors and panicked schoolgirls scrambled to safety.

The attack underscores spiralling insecurity in Afghanistan, where the NATO-backed military, beset by soaring casualties and desertions, is struggling to beat back insurgents.

"In this powerful attack 90 people have been killed and 400 wounded, including many women and children," said the government´s media centre, with health officials warning the toll could climb further.

President Ashraf Ghani slammed the attack as a "war crime".

Afghanistan´s intelligence agency blamed the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network for the attack.

Kabul blast hurts German embassy staff, kills guard: minister

The bomb, one of the deadliest in Kabul and coming at the start of the holy month of Ramadan, exploded close to the fortified entrance to the German embassy, killing a security guard and wounding some staff, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Twitter.

“Such attacks do not change our resolve in continuing to support the Afghan government in the stabilisation of the country," he said.

Basir Mujahid, a spokesman for city police, said the explosives were hidden in a sewage tanker. He suggested that the German embassy might not have been the target of the blast, which sent clouds of black smoke into the sky near the presidential palace.

"There are several other important compounds and offices near there too," he told Reuters.

The blast, which shattered windows and blew doors off their hinges in houses hundreds of metres away, was unusually strong.

The Taliban denied responsibility and said they condemned attacks that have no legitimate target and killed civilians.

Daesh, the other main militant group active in Afghanistan, has carried out high-profile attacks in Kabul, including an attack on a military hospital in March that killed more than 50 people.

The NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission in Kabul said Afghan security forces prevented the vehicle carrying the bomb from entering the heavily protected Green Zone that houses many foreign embassies as well as its headquarters, also suggesting it may not have reached its intended target.

Germany cancelled a planned flight deporting migrants to Afghanistan after the blast, its ARD broadcaster said, citing the interior minister. Germany began carrying out group deportations of Afghans in December, seeking to show it is tackling the high number of migrants by getting rid of those who do not qualify as refugees.

The French, Turkish and Chinese embassies were among those damaged, the three countries said, adding there were no immediate signs of injuries among their diplomats. The BBC said one of its drivers, an Afghan, was killed driving journalists to work. Four journalists were wounded and treated in hospital.

Video shot at the scene showed burning debris, crumbled walls and buildings, and destroyed cars, many with dead or injured people inside.

"Felt like an earthquake"

At the Wazir Akbar Khan hospital a few blocks away, there were scenes of chaos as ambulances brought in wounded and frantic relatives scanned casualty lists and questioned hospital staff for news.

"It felt like an earthquake," said 21-year-old Mohammad Hassan, describing the moment the blast struck the bank where he was working. His head wound had been bandaged but blood still soaked his white dress shirt.

Another lightly wounded victim, Nabib Ahmad, 27, said there was widespread destruction and confusion.

"I couldn't think clearly, there was a mess everywhere," he said.

Frenzy erupted out outside the hospital as ambulances and police trucks began bringing in the bodies of those killed. Some bodies were burned or destroyed beyond recognition.

Pakistani diplomats, staff injured in attack

Pakistan’s Foreign Office condemned the attack and according to a press statement officials from the country’s embassy had been injured.

Some Pakistani diplomats and staff sustained minor injuries in the attack and their residences were also damaged, according to press release of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Pakistan being a victim of terrorism understands the pain and agony that such incidents inflict upon the people and society. The people and Government of Pakistan extend their heartfelt sympathies and deepest condolences to the Government and the people of Afghanistan and the bereaved families,” the statement said.

“While reiterating condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, we pray for early recovery of the injured. We firmly stand with our Afghan brothers in this hour of grief and anguish,” it added. 

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also condemned the terror attack and expressed solidarity with the Afghan government and people.  

In a statement, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa strongly condemned the incident and expressed grief on the loss of precious lives and damage to various embassies' infrastructure, including Pakistan's. We stand with [our] Afghan brothers and its security forces in [the] fight against terrorism and militancy, he stated further.

Indian, Japanese Embassies damaged 

Manpreet Vohra, India´s envoy to Afghanistan, told the Times Now television channel the bomb went off around 100 metres from India´s embassy, one of several in the area.

"We are all safe, all our staff, all our personnel are safe. However, the blast was very large and nearby buildings including our own building have considerable damage in terms of broken glass and shattered windows and blown doors etc," he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "We strongly condemn the terrorist blast in Kabul. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased & prayers with the injured."

The explosion also shattered windows at the Japanese Embassy. "Two Japanese embassy staffers were mildly injured, suffering cuts," a foreign ministry official in Tokyo told AFP.

France also reported damage to its own embassy and the German one.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis has warned of "another tough year" for both foreign troops and local forces in Afghanistan.

Afghan troops are backed by US and NATO forces, and the Pentagon has reportedly asked the White House to send thousands more troops to the country to break the deadlock in the fight against the Taliban.

US troops in Afghanistan number about 8,400 today, and there are another 5,000 from NATO allies. They mainly serve in an advisory capacity -- a far cry from the US presence of more than 100,000 six years ago.

The blast was the latest in a long line of attacks in Kabul. The province surrounding the capital had the highest number of casualties in the first three months of 2017 due to multiple attacks in the city, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.