Kabul bombing kills at least 80

May 31, 2017 | News

Injured Afghans run from the site of a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani TEMPLATE OUT

By: Hiba Traboulsi & Adam Bernards

At least 80 people were killed and more than 400 were wounded in Kabul after a suicide truck bomb exploded on Wednesday morning, a public health official said.

The bomb exploded next to the German embassy at the peak of Kabul’s rush hour, when the roads were packed with commuters.

The victims appear mainly to be Afghan civilians, according to various media sources on the scene.

The diplomatic area is considered Kabul’s safest area with nearby foreign embassies and government offices, protected by dozens of high walls, and guarded by police and national security forces.

The bombing, which came a few days into the holy month of Ramadan, was one of the deadliest attacks on Kabul since the 2014 drawdown of foreign forces from the country, according to The Associated Press.

No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, though the Taliban and the Islamic state (ISIS) have staged large-scale attacks in Kabul in the past.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the attack.

“The terrorists, even in the holy month of Ramadan, the month of goodness, blessing and prayer, are not stopping the killing of our innocent people,” he said.

Kabul police spokesperson Basir Mujahid suggested the embassy might not have been the target of the blast.

“There are several other important compounds and offices near there too,” he said in a statement to Reuters.

Humber News spoke with Josh Smith, a Reuters correspondent in Afghanistan, on Wednesday for more details on the terror attack in what was considered a secure zone.