Afghanistan: suicide blast in Kabul kills six, including British national

A suicide bomber on Thursday rammed an explosive-laden car into a British embassy vehicle in Kabul, killing five Afghans and one Briton in the latest attack as NATO troops continue to withdraw from the country.

An Afghan employee in the embassy and a British security contractor died in the blast, which occurred on a stretch of road known for suicide attacks. At least four other Afghani bystanders were also killed in the attack, in addition to the 30 people injured.

“I am deeply saddened to confirm that a British national civilian security team member and an Afghan national working for the embassy were killed. I condemn this appalling attack on innocent civilians supporting our diplomatic activity”, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said from London.

Another British contractor with the firm was also injured in the bombing which threw the vehicle on its side; the roof of the 4×4 was also blown off and its parts were disseminated across Jalalabad road, a crucial road on which many military facilities and fortified compounds are located. It has often witnessed insurgent attacks, especially in the past few weeks.

There have been at least seven blasts in Kabul over the past ten days, including attacks on international compounds and an attack on a female Afghani parliamentarian – the MP was injured in a suicide bomb attack that targeted her car.

The recognized Taliban Twitter account claimed that the group was behind Thursday’s blast.

Policemen at the site were seen tending to passengers covered in blood, taking them to the hospital; a particularly shaken-up foreigner was seen by eye-witness being attended to by the Afghani police.

“The report we have received from Kabul hospitals show five killed and 34 wounded in today’s attack. The wounded include five children. We don’t record foreign casualties”, Kenishka Turkistani, a spokesman for the ministry of public health, said.