More than 30 killed, hundreds wounded as bombing hits capital of Afghanistan

At least 28 people  were killed and more than 200 were injured after a heavy explosion hit Afghan intelligence compound in Kabul City on Tuesday at 08:55 am (local time), the number of dead and injuries are likely to increase.

“28 people were martyred, both civilian and military people are included while according to our reports about 180 people were injured,” Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi told the reporters.

At the same time, health officials claims high casualties saying the exact number of dead are unknown yet.

“We have received about 167 people wounded, the number of people dead is unknown yet,” Muhibullah Zeer, the chief of curative medicine of Ministry of Public Health said on Tuesday two hours after the incident while the attackers were still fighting with the Afghan forces.

The target of the explosion was Afghan intelligence directorate, a unit of secret service protecting VIPs located in Pul-e Mahmoud Khan, a populated area in Kabul city where mainly civilians are working.

At the first hours of the attack, ambulances rushed to the site of the explosion to take the people wounded to the hosptials, gunshots were heard after the attack.

The Afghan police believe there could be still a number of attackers in one of the buildings nearby.

In a statement released by the Afghan Presidential Palace and Chief Executive Office the attack was condemned “in the strongest possible terms”.

The Presidential Palace statement released immediately after the attack said, “Today’s terrorist attack clearly shows the enemy’s defeat in face-to-face battle with ANSDF”.

Security officials yet to make comment.

Taliban claimed the responsibility for the attack.

This is the first major attack since the Taliban announced the start of its yearly “spring offensive” last week.