Kabul // A Taliban suicide car bomber struck a Nato convoy in central Kabul on Sunday, triggering a powerful explosion in an attack that comes two weeks after the militant group overran a key northern city.
The rush-hour bombing wounded at least three civilians including a child, as the Taliban ramp up attacks on government and foreign targets.
The intensity of the blast sent an armoured vehicle crashing into a sidewalk, its front end badly mangled, and left the area littered with charred pieces of twisted metal.
“The incident took place while a suicide car bomber detonated an explosive-packed car in the Joy Shir area ... of Kabul city,” the interior ministry said.
“The target of the attacker [was] the foreign forces convoy.”
Security forces cordoned off the area as ambulances rushed to the scene, but officials said the death toll was limited.
“The ministry of interior condemns in the strongest terms the suicide attack which resulted in the wounding of three civilians,” the ministry said.
The Kabul police said the wounded included a woman and a child.
A Nato spokesman in Kabul confirmed that their convoy came under attack but said the international coalition was still gathering further information.
The insurgents have stepped up attacks around Afghanistan since they launched their annual summer offensive in late April.
The Taliban captured the northern city of Kunduz on September 28, their most spectacular victory in 14 years.
The seizure of the provincial capital for three days was a stinging blow to western-trained Afghan forces, who have largely been fighting on their own since the end of Nato’s combat mission in December.
The Taliban said that Sunday’s bombing was carried out to avenge the recent “barbaric bombardment” in Kunduz by foreign and government forces.
“A Toyota sedan packed with explosives was used in the attack. Two military tanks were destroyed and 12 foreigners were were killed,” the group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
The Taliban, toppled from power in a 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, are known to exaggerate battlefield claims.
The government claims to have wrested back control of Kunduz city but sporadic firefights continue with pockets of insurgents as Afghan soldiers, backed by Nato special forces, conduct clearance operations.
As fighting spreads in neighbouring Badakhshan, Takhar and Baghlan provinces, concerns are mounting that the seizure of Kunduz was merely the opening gambit in a new, bolder strategy to tighten the insurgency’s grip across northern Afghanistan.
Most Nato combat troops pulled out of Afghanistan last year but a small contingent focused on training and counter-terrorism operations remains, including about 10,000 American soldiers.
* Agence France-Presse
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Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
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DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
*November 15 to November 24
*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com
*TV: Ten Sports
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*2017 winners: Kerala Kings
*2018 winners: Northern Warriors
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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