Kabul attack ‘target unclear’
DEPORTATION POSTPONED Germany defers chartered flight with rejected Afghan asylum seekers
Germany said it was not clear if its embassy was the target of the Kabul blast that killed at least 80 people on Wednesday, but postponed a flight containing repatriated Afghan asylum seekers.
“We cannot say yet exactly what the attack was directed against, the explosion was in the diplomatic quarter,” a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry told reporters, adding two German embassy employees had been injured and an Afghan security guard killed.
“We don’t yet have a complete picture ... we have no claim of responsibility, we cannot say for sure how this attack happened and against whom it was directed,” she added.
A government source said Germany postponed a charter flight containing rejected Afghan asylum seekers because diplomatic and consular staff, “so shortly after the attack, have more important things to do than to deal with organisational matters”.
“In the next few days, there
MARCH 8: Militants storm Sardar Daud Khan Military Hospital, leaving at least 49 dead and 63 injured. Islamic State claims the attack
NOV 21: At least 32 people killed and 80 injured when an Islamic State suicide bomber strikes a Shia mosque
SEPT 5: Twin suicide blasts near the Afghan defence ministry building leave 41 dead and more than 100 injured. The Taliban claim the first blast
JULY 23: Two blasts at Deh
Mazang square, targeting a Hazara gathering, kill 97 people and leave
will be no return trips to Afghanistan,” said an interior ministry spokesman, insisting however that deportations would continue after that.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the bombing , saying that “terrorism has no borders.” more than 250 injured. Islamic State claims the blasts
APRIL 19: Taliban militants attack a security team responsible for protecting government VIPs, killing 64 and injuring 350
FEB 1: A Taliban suicide bomber strikes the Afghan National Civil Order Police headquarters, killing at least 20 and injuring another 30
AUG 7: A series of blasts leave at least 50 dead and more than 200 injured, with the Taliban blamed for the attack
MAY 13: Taliban gunmen storm the Park Palace Guest House, where a concert — primarily attended by
The chancellor said terrorism “targets all of us — whether in Manchester or Berlin, Paris, Istanbul, St Petersburg or today in Kabul.”
She spoke in the southern German city of Nuremberg just hours after the explosion near the German Embassy in Kabul on A victim of the blast is carried on a stretcher to an ambulance by volunteers and response units on Wednesday. foriegn nationals — was to take observer for the presidential place. At least 13 people killed, elections including four Indians JANUARY 17: Taliban suicide MARCH 20: Taliban gunmen storm bomber detonates outside a the Kabul Serena Hotel, killing at restaurant, followed by gunmen least nine people, including an entering the building and opening Indian national and an international fire. At least 21 people killed
Wednesday. Merkel said “today we’re united in shock and sadness across all borders.”
She expressed her sympathy for the victims and their families and vowed that, “we will lead the fight against terrorism and we will win it.”
The Taliban in Afghanistan
said it had no role in the bombing. In a statement issued in Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the group was not involved as it was not allowed to carry out attacks in areas where there are no targets.
The group strongly condemns the attack, Mujahid added.