Afghanistan: at least two killed in series of blasts in Kabul

Police confirm three bombings, with reports of two others in the Afghan capital

Afghan security personnel inspect the site of one of several bomb blasts in Kabul on December 26, 2020. AP Photo

A series of explosions hit the Afghan capital on Saturday morning, killing at least two police officers and wounding another two plus a civilian.

The officers died and a civilian was hurt when a magnetic bomb attached to a police vehicle detonated in western Kabul, police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz said.

Two other policemen were wounded when a bomb attached to their car exploded earlier on Saturday in southern Kabul, Mr Faramarz said.

A third magnetic bomb detonated in eastern Kabul but caused no casualties, he said.

There were reports of at least two other blasts elsewhere in the city but police had no immediate details.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings, which came as journalists, politicians and rights activists have increasingly come under attack.

Afghanistan is experiencing a surge in violence despite the government and Taliban insurgents holding talks in Qatar to hammer out a peace deal that could put an end to decades of war. The talks in Doha have been suspended until early January and there is speculation they could be further delayed.

The ISIS group has claimed responsibility for several attacks in the capital in recent months, including on educational institutions that killed 50 people, most of them students.

At the same time, Taliban militants have waged bitter battles against ISIS fighters, particularly in eastern Afghanistan, while continuing their insurgency against government forces and keeping their promise not to attack US and Nato troops.

ISIS claimed responsibility for last week’s rocket attacks targeting the main US base in Afghanistan. There were no casualties.