Powerful blasts, gunfire rock Kabul

Powerful blasts followed by sporadic gunfire hit Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Tuesday near the city’s heavily fortified “Green Zone”, an area home to government buildings and foreign embassies, officials said.

A senior security official said the first blast, which struck just after 8pm local time (15:30 GMT), appeared to have been caused by a car bomb and the target was the acting defence minister’s home and the adjoining residence of a member of parliament.

After Tuesday’s bomb attack, acting Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi said no harm was caused to him and his family members but some of his security guards were injured.

Interior Ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanekzai said gunmen entered the area after the first explosion.

Stanekzai said three attackers were killed by security personnel and a clean-up operation was being conducted by police. All roads leading to the minister’s house and guesthouse were closed, he added.

Less than two hours after the car bomb detonated, another loud blast followed by rapid gunfire again shook Kabul, in what appeared to be the same area of the city.

Hundreds of residents in the area were moved to safety, said Ferdaws Faramarz, spokesman for the Kabul police chief. He said security personnel were searching house to house should more attackers be hiding in the area.

At least 10 people were wounded and were taken to hospitals in the capital, Dastgir Nazari, Health Ministry spokesman, said.
The city’s Emergency Hospital said in a tweet it had so far received six people wounded in the first attack.
No group immediately claimed responsibility.

Source: Aljazeera