Taliban militants attack in capital, killing at least 40

KABUL — A complex Taliban attack including a carbombing and militant assault killed at least 40 people and wounded dozens of children in Kabul on Monday, badly damaging a private war museum, an adjoining television station and a primary school, officials said.

The attack, apparently aimed at a government facility, came as U.S. and Taliban negotiators met for a third day in Qatar amid hopes for a deal on a U.S. troop withdrawal. But the pace of violence in the 18year Afghan war has only picked up, with each side increasing attacks.

A senior Kabul defense official put the death toll at six security force members, with another 20 of them wounded, and 34 civilians, with at least 63 civilians wounded, a toll that rose later in the day. He spoke on condition of anonymity.

Nooria Nazhat, spokeswoman for the ministry of education, said at least 51 students were wounded. They were injured when part of their school building collapsed from the detonation of a car bomb that began the Taliban attack.

At Shamshad TV, a security guard was killed and several journalists wounded.

Wahidullah Mayar, spokesman for the ministry of public health, said 105 of the wounded civilians, including 26 children, were hurt badly enough to be hospitalized.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a Twitter message on the account of the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, and said a logistics unit of the ministry of defense was the intended target.

Nasrat Rahimi, spokesman for the interior ministry, said the car bomb detonated near the museum and television complex, after which attackers entered a defense ministry building and fought with security forces.

The war museum did not report any victims from the blast. The centerpiece of its displays are the many antipersonnel and other mines planted throughout the country. Schoolchildren tour the museum to educate them about the dangers of handling mines and explosive projectiles.