British embassy car targeted
Suicide bomb claims five in Kabul
ASUICIDE bomber attacked a British embassy vehicle in the Afghan capital, killing five people, including one Briton, the ministry of interior said.
The blast in the east of Kabul yesterday wounded 33 people, including many bystanders – the latest in a wave of bombings to hit Kabul as the majority of foreign combat troops prepare to withdraw from the country by the end of the year.
Taliban insurgents, who were ousted from power by a US-led coali- tion in 2001, claimed responsibility for the attack saying it “targeted foreign invading forces”. Attacks targeting foreign embassy personnel are less common than the near-daily bombings striking Afghan and international military forces on the country’s roads.
The British embassy confirmed there were injuries among those in the vehicle, but did not comment on the reported death.
“I can confirm it was a British vehicle and there are some injuries. We are working with the Afghan authorities,” said the spokesman, who asked not to be identified.
A Western security source said one of the British employees travelling in the vehicle had died in hospital, while a second Briton had been wounded and was in a stable condition. A witness saw one survivor being led away from the charred shell of the vehicle on foot by a member of the British security forces.
The interior ministry initially reported the blast had been caused by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle, but later said the attacker had been travelling by car.
The Afghan capital has been hit by a wave of attacks in recent weeks and yesterday’s bombing was at least the fourth since Monday, when two American soldiers were killed in a blast close to the airport.
While not common, attacks against diplomatic missions and personnel in Afghanistan show a determination to target anyone associated with the US-led mission.
A 25-year-old American diplomat was killed last year in an attack on a convoy in the country’s east.