Afghanistan: Twin suicide attacks in Kabul kill at least 24
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 5 September 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghanistan: Twin suicide attacks in Kabul kill at least 24, 5 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57db9a8d1e.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 05, 2016
By RFE/RL
Afghan officials transport a victim after a suicide attack in Kabul on September 5.
Two suicide bombers have struck a busy area near the Afghan Defense Ministry in Kabul, killing at least 24 people.
Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on September 5 that both the suicide bombers were on foot and blew themselves up one after the other, killing policemen and civilians nearby.
Mohammad Ismail Kawosi, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that at least 24 people were killed and 90 others injured in the blasts in the Afghan capital.
The dead included an army general and two senior police commanders, and Kawosi suggested it could increase as more information becomes available.
Late on September 5, a third massive explosion shook central Kabul, with police saying a suicide car bombing appeared to have targeted a guest house for foreigners and diplomats in the Shar-e Now (New City) neighborhood.
Attackers appear to have entered the building and exchange gunfire with police. There was no immediate word on casualties.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter that the ministry was the target of the first attack, while police were targeted in the second.
A Taliban attack on the Defense Ministry in February killed at least 15 people and wounded more than 30.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Reuters, and AFP
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