Kabul Bloody Night; 135 Killed or Wounded in Taliban Car Bomb Attack

A Taliban car bomb on Monday night killed at least 16 people and wounded 119 in Kabul, Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement.

A Taliban car bomb on Monday night killed at least 16 people and wounded 119 in Kabul, Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement.
Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the blast was caused by a tractor packed with explosives close to Green Village, a residential compound in eastern Kabul used by the foreign staff of international groups including aid organizations.
“16 civilians, including camp staff, were killed and 119 civilians were wounded,” the statement added.

According to the statement, following the explosion, Kabul police special forces cordoned off the area and gunned down 5 armed Taliban terrorists, who were hidden in the area, intending to plan an armed attack.
The Ministry also said that a fuel tanker close to the area was also caught fire.

About 400 foreign nationals were safely rescued from the area by Afghan National Security Forces.
The blast, which shook buildings several kilometers away, came just as Zalmay Khalilzad, the special U.S. envoy for peace in Afghanistan was outlining details of a draft accord with the insurgent movement in a television interview.
Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.