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Kabul blast: Suicide bomber kills seven media personnel Kabul blast: Suicide bomber kills seven TV staff
(about 1 hour later)
A suicide bomber driving a car has killed seven media personnel on a bus transporting TV and radio staff in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul. Seven employees of a popular privately-run Afghan TV channel were killed after their bus was targeted by a suicide car bomber in the capital Kabul.
More than 20 others - including passers-by - were wounded. At least 20 others - including passers-by - were wounded.
Tolo TV tweeted: "Unfortunately, in the terrorist attack today... we lost seven staff members".
The Taliban said it carried out the attack. It had threatened to target Tolo over its news coverage of the fighting in Kunduz city in September.
The bus was reportedly taking staff from Tolo and its parent media organisation home for the day when it was rammed by the suicide bomber in central Kabul.
The explosion sent black smoke billowing into the sky, with emergency services rushing to the scene.The explosion sent black smoke billowing into the sky, with emergency services rushing to the scene.
No group has said it carried out the attack, but the Taliban will be the main suspects. The militants have launched numerous attacks in the city. A Tolo TV reporter told the BBC's Kawoon Khamoosh he was fortunate to be alive after nearly burning to death.
Since the beginning of 2016, Kabul has been hit by at least at least six bomb attacks - in the most recent on Sunday a rocket landed near the Italian embassy, wounding two security guards. The Indian and Pakistani missions have also recently been targeted in other parts of the country. Announcing what had happened in a live broadcast, Tolo news presenter Fawad Aman said: "The enemy of humanity, peace and Islam martyred our colleagues because they were exposing their crimes
The bomb was detonated by a man driving a car who targeted the bus in central Kabul. "They martyred you to silence us, but they will never achieve this evil goal."
Employees of the Kaboora media group were on the vehicle, including representatives from Tolo TV and Tolo News. Tolo TV runs Afghanistan's first 24-hour news channel and, along with its website, is one of the country's most well-known news sources.
"Unfortunately, in the terrorist attack today in Darulaman Road in Kabul, we lost seven staff members," Tolo TV tweeted. Tolo had implemented tighter security measures in recent months after the Taliban threatened it and another privately-run news channel, 1TV, over their coverage of the fight for Kunduz, calling them "satanic networks".
A Tolo TV reporter told the BBC's Kawoon Khamoosh he was fortunate to be alive after nearly being burnt to death. Early reports of Wednesday's blast suggested the Russian embassy was struck, but the Russian foreign ministry said damage to the building was minimal.
Another representative from the news section of the channel said that several of his colleagues are among the wounded who had been transferred to a hospital close to the attack site. The Taliban have launched numerous previous attacks on Kabul.
Our correspondent says that Wednesday's attack came a few months after the Taliban announced that Tolo TV and 1TV would be among their targets. Since the beginning of 2016, the city has been hit by at least six bomb attacks - in the most recent, on Sunday, a rocket landed near the Italian embassy, wounding two security guards. The Indian and Pakistani missions have also recently been targeted in other parts of the country.
The militants were angered by media coverage of fighting in an around the strategic city of Kunduz.
Tolo TV had implemented tighter security measures in recent months.
Early reports suggested the Russian embassy might have been struck, before it emerged that media workers were the target.
A Russian foreign ministry source told the Interfax news agency that the attack had caused only minimal damage to its nearby embassy.
Last week at least seven Afghan security personnel were killed in a gun battle near the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad.Last week at least seven Afghan security personnel were killed in a gun battle near the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad.
Observers have speculated that the attacks near foreign missions could also be aimed at destabilising attempts to revive peace talks with the Taliban.Observers have speculated that the attacks near foreign missions could also be aimed at destabilising attempts to revive peace talks with the Taliban.