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Afghanistan: Deadly explosion at Kabul Supreme Court | Afghanistan: Deadly explosion at Kabul Supreme Court |
(35 minutes later) | |
A suicide bomb attack in Kabul has killed at least 16 people and injured more than 40 others outside the Supreme Court, Afghan police say. | A suicide bomb attack in Kabul has killed at least 16 people and injured more than 40 others outside the Supreme Court, Afghan police say. |
The attacker drove a car packed with explosives at buses which were carrying court staff, including judges. | |
In a statement sent to the BBC, the Taliban said they carried out the attack, saying it had killed judges who "obey Western powers". | |
It is the second big attack in Kabul claimed by the group in two days. | |
On Monday, seven insurgents, including suicide bombers, laid siege to the main airport for four hours before they were killed. | |
The Taliban appears to be demonstrating that it can still hit high-profile targets in the city, despite a heightened alert in the run-up to a handover of full security control to the Afghan government next month. | |
Tuesday's attack also underlines the Taliban's readiness to target civilians, particularly court officials, whom they consider an arm of the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai. | |
The Supreme Court building is a few hundred metres from the entrance to the US Embassy. | |
Nato's headquarters are also nearby. | Nato's headquarters are also nearby. |
The explosion happened at the height of Kabul's evening rush hour. | The explosion happened at the height of Kabul's evening rush hour. |
The BBC's David Loyn, in Kabul, said many of those injured by the blast were inhabitants of the tightly packed housing estate close by who were hit by flying glass. | |
Parts of the city's diplomatic area have since been cordoned off. | |