KABUL - A Taliban vehicle bomb late on
Monday close to a housing compound used by international
organisations in the Afghan capital Kabul killed at least 16
people and wounded 119, officials said as emergency workers
began cleanup operations.
The blast, which shook buildings several kilometres 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.
Following major Taliban attacks on two northern cities over
the weekend, the bombing in a heavily populated area of the
capital added to questions around the peace deal reached between
U.S. and Taliban negotiators in the Qatari capital Doha.
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 foreign
staff of international groups including aid organizations.
He said around 400 foreign nationals were evacuated from the
heavily protected site, located off a major road in an area of
houses and shops.
Armed attackers, who planned to follow up the blast, were
killed by security forces, he said.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack had
destroyed rooms and offices of "invaders".
"Enemy claims of civilian losses are false as no civilians
were allowed close to the site of the attack," he said in a
tweet.
Khalilzad, a veteran Afghan-born diplomat who has been
leading U.S. negotiations, said almost 5,000 U.S. troops would
be pulled out and five bases closed in exchange for Taliban
guarantees that Afghanistan would not be used as a base for
militant attacks on the United States and its allies.
But the deal did not include a formal ceasefire and Monday's
attacks, as well as major assaults on the northern cities of
Kunduz and Pul-e Khumri, underlined doubts about whether it
would lead to an end to violence.