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Afghanistan blast: Kabul hit by second bomb attack | Afghanistan blast: Kabul hit by second bomb attack |
(about 1 hour later) | |
More than 30 people have died and hundreds more have been wounded in separate bomb attacks in the Afghan capital Kabul. | |
A suicide bomber blew himself up near the city's police academy on Friday evening, killing about 20 recruits. | |
In the early hours of Friday, a truck carrying explosives was detonated near an army base in the Shah Shahid area, claiming 15 lives. | |
Reports are now coming in of a large explosion north of the airport. | |
Heavy gunfire was heard following the blast, but few other details are known. | |
Suspicion for all of the attacks is likely to fall on the Taliban. President Ashraf Ghani suggested that the group was seeking to divert attention away from its leadership struggles. | |
Civilian casualties | |
Officials said Friday evening's suicide bomber was dressed in police uniform when he detonated an explosives-laden vest outside the gates of Kabul's police academy. | |
One officer told the Associated Press that the bomber had walked into a group of recruits waiting outside the academy, adding that 25 people had been wounded in the attack. | |
The truck bomb, which went off in the early hours of Friday, damaged buildings and created an enormous crater in the road. | |
A security source told Reuters that the target was probably an army compound. | A security source told Reuters that the target was probably an army compound. |
Injured people including women and children were rushed to hospital for treatment. Some bodies were feared buried in the wreckage of shops and businesses. | Injured people including women and children were rushed to hospital for treatment. Some bodies were feared buried in the wreckage of shops and businesses. |
The BBC's Khalil Noori says that most of the casualties from the first bomb attack were civilians. | The BBC's Khalil Noori says that most of the casualties from the first bomb attack were civilians. |
Large truck bombs are unusual in the centre of Kabul, in part because police do not allow lorries to enter the city during daytime. | Large truck bombs are unusual in the centre of Kabul, in part because police do not allow lorries to enter the city during daytime. |
But smaller bombs and suicide attacks have become almost a weekly occurrence in the heavily fortified city. | But smaller bombs and suicide attacks have become almost a weekly occurrence in the heavily fortified city. |
On Thursday at least six people, including three policemen, were killed in a suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan. | On Thursday at least six people, including three policemen, were killed in a suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan. |
A lorry filled with explosives was detonated outside a police compound in Puli Alam, capital of Logar province. | A lorry filled with explosives was detonated outside a police compound in Puli Alam, capital of Logar province. |
The Taliban claimed the bombing, the first major attack since the militants confirmed last week that their leader, Mullah Omar, was dead. | The Taliban claimed the bombing, the first major attack since the militants confirmed last week that their leader, Mullah Omar, was dead. |
On Monday the Afghan Taliban released a video which they said showed members of the group pledging allegiance to the new leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour. | On Monday the Afghan Taliban released a video which they said showed members of the group pledging allegiance to the new leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour. |
Are you in Kabul? Did you see or hear the explosion?Let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories. | Are you in Kabul? Did you see or hear the explosion?Let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories. |
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |