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Kabul: bomb hidden in ambulance kills dozens Kabul: bomb hidden in ambulance kills dozens
(about 2 hours later)
Attacker passed first checkpoint by claiming he had a patient, then detonated explosivesAttacker passed first checkpoint by claiming he had a patient, then detonated explosives
Emma Graham-Harrison and Akhtar Mohammad MakoiiEmma Graham-Harrison and Akhtar Mohammad Makoii
Sat 27 Jan 2018 16.01 GMTSat 27 Jan 2018 16.01 GMT
First published on Sat 27 Jan 2018 10.40 GMTFirst published on Sat 27 Jan 2018 10.40 GMT
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A bomb hidden in an ambulance in Kabul has killed at least 95 people and injured more than 150, the latest in a string of high-profile attacks in Afghanistan. A bomb hidden in an ambulance has killed at least 95 people and injured more than 150 in the heavily fortified heart of the Afghan capital, Kabul, the latest in a string of high-profile attacks.
The explosives were detonated at a police checkpoint where the streets are often crowded with people waiting to visit nearby offices, and vendors serving them. Witnesses said bodies were strewn across the pavement. The suicide bomber struck at a police checkpoint where the streets were crowded with people queueing to visit nearby offices and embassies, and vendors serving them. Witnesses said bodies were strewn across the pavement.
It was the deadliest blast in the capital since May 2017, when a truck bomb killed 150 near the German embassy, not far from from Saturday’s attack. “It’s a massacre,” said Dejan Panic, a coordinator for the nearby emergency hospital, which was nearly overwhelmed by the flood of victims. Dozens were laid out on mattresses in the courtyard to wait for treatment from medics with the Italian charity, which was still tending to patients from previous attacks.
The flood of victims nearly overwhelmed the nearby Emergency hospital, run by an Italian charity, where many victims were taken for treatment. The bombing was the deadliest in Kabul for nearly eight months, a warning that even though the US has stepped up operations against insurgents, they still have the capacity to carry out attacks in government strongholds.
Dozens were laid out in rows in the hospital courtyard, as medics raced to triage survivors. “It’s a massacre,” said Dejan Panic, the charity’s coordinator for Afghanistan. This week alone Isis shut down a charity that serves millions of Afghans by targeting its headquarters, and a Taliban attack on a high-profile hotel killed 22 people and crippled an airline providing vital transport links over militant-controlled territory.
The death toll given by the interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish rose rapidly in the wake of the blast, and may climb further. The streets were busy because Saturday is a working day in Afghanistan. Although US air power and other military support means insurgents would struggle to mount a direct attack on Kabul, each attack undermines government efforts to create even a limited, protected version of normality.
“Many women and children have been killed or wounded, because they were queuing outside the passport department,” said Sediqullah Popalzai, a national security official. The Taliban claimed the attack, naming the bomber as Salahuddin from southern Kandahar province. Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the blast had killed only police officers, but witnesses described the dead as mostly civilians.
“Many women and children have been killed or wounded, because they were queuing outside the passport department,” said Sediqullah Popalzai, a national security official who was near the bomb when it detonated.
“Dead bodies which were near the ambulance were unidentifiable. There were shattered bodies everywhere. It was a very tragic and devastating scene.”“Dead bodies which were near the ambulance were unidentifiable. There were shattered bodies everywhere. It was a very tragic and devastating scene.”
The interior ministry offices, the EU, and Dutch and Swedish embassies are among the buildings along the street that was targeted. Some interior ministry offices and the EU, Dutch and Swedish embassies are on the street that was targeted, but they are heavily fortified and likely to have sustained only limited damage.
Although the force of the blast shook buildings hundreds of metres away, it is likely to have caused less damage inside heavily fortified government buildings and embassies. The attacker passed a first checkpoint by claiming he was rushing a patient to a nearby hospital, officials said, and then detonated his bomb when he was stopped at a second checkpoint.
As ambulances raced to collect the injured, nervous security forces also had to watch out for possible secondary attacks, and the nature of the first attack meant even medical teams were suspect. Popalzai said he saw police stop one ambulance and arrest three people inside.
The attacker passed a first checkpoint by claiming he was rushing a patient to a nearby checkpoint, and then detonated his suicide bomb at a second checkpoint.
The Afghanistan branch of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that the bomber’s “harrowing” use of an ambulance could break international law.The Afghanistan branch of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that the bomber’s “harrowing” use of an ambulance could break international law.
“This could amount to perfidy under IHL (International Humanitarian Law). Unacceptable and unjustifiable,” the group said on Twitter.“This could amount to perfidy under IHL (International Humanitarian Law). Unacceptable and unjustifiable,” the group said on Twitter.
A tragic and senseless attack.Ambulances are for saving lives, not destroying them. https://t.co/YY26Rl1xAxA tragic and senseless attack.Ambulances are for saving lives, not destroying them. https://t.co/YY26Rl1xAx
As ambulances raced to collect the injured, nervous security forces also had to watch out for possible secondary attacks, and the nature of the first attack meant even medical teams were suspect. Popalzai said he had seen police stop one ambulance, and arrest three people inside.
The streets were busy when the bomber struck. As well as the embassies and offices, the checkpoint he targeted is near a popular street of carpet and handicraft shops and a major road. After the explosion all were crammed with injured and terrified survivors desperate to escape.
“It was the city of fear, everyone was running,” said Niloofar Ibrahimi who was working in a nearby bank when the blast hit. “Some people were crying because they lost a loved one and some were crying because they had no news about their loved ones.”
The attack came a week after Taliban attackers stormed the city’s high-end Intercontinental hotel, killing at least 22 people, and four days after an Isis suicide bomber attacked the offices of the Save the Children charity in eastern Afghanistan.The attack came a week after Taliban attackers stormed the city’s high-end Intercontinental hotel, killing at least 22 people, and four days after an Isis suicide bomber attacked the offices of the Save the Children charity in eastern Afghanistan.
It raises serious questions about security, more than three years after then US president Barack Obama officially declared the end of the US’s war in Afghanistan. It raises serious questions about security, more than three years after then US president Barack Obama officially declared the end of the US war in Afghanistan.
After the Taliban and Isis made inroads on territory around the country, repeatedly threatening and occasionally overrunning even provincial capitals, the US stepped up support for Afghan forces on the ground and increased airstrikes. After the Taliban and Isis made inroads around the country, repeatedly threatening and occasionally overrunning provincial capitals, the US stepped up support for Afghan forces and increased airstrikes.
The general in charge of the mission, Gen John Nicholson, described the greater US role as a “gamechanger”, and said Afghanistan had “turned the corner” in its long fight against extremists. The officer in charge of the mission, Gen John Nicholson, described the greater US role as a “gamechanger”, and said Afghanistan had “turned the corner” in its long fight against extremists.
But the recent assaults on a charity, a high-profile hotel and the heart of Kabul shows Afghan insurgents are still capable of complex attacks that are damaging to both morale and infrastructure. But the recent assaults show insurgents are still capable of complex attacks that are damaging to both morale and infrastructure. And they come in winter, when the Taliban have traditionally retreated to havens in Pakistan, waiting for the summer fighting season.
Many of those killed in the Intercontinental hotel worked for Afghanistan’s Kam Air; the company has been crippled by the losses and air travel bridges, vital in a country where insurgents control many roads, have been suspended. “The Taliban has demonstrated repeatedly that it can stage mass-casualty attacks in urban spaces, and seemingly at will. To me, that’s a sign of strength, not weakness,” said Michael Kugelman, senior analyst for south Asia at the Wilson Centre.
The attack on Save the Children also halted health and education projects that serve millions of Afghans, although the charity has vowed to resume its work as soon as safely possible. Haroon Janjua contributed reporting
An interior ministry spokesman blamed Saturday’s attack on the Haqqani network, a Taliban-linked group which has long been considered responsible for some of the bloodiest and most sophisticated attacks in Afghanistan.
AfghanistanAfghanistan
South and Central AsiaSouth and Central Asia
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