Bomb destroys minibus in Kabul, kills civilian

KABUL: At least one person was killed and four others injured on Saturday when a suspected bomb destroyed a minibus near a Taliban checkpoint in Kabul, officials said.

The incident happened in Dasht-e Barchi, a Kabul suburb dominated by members of the mostly Shiite Hazara community, who for years have been the target of violence by the Daesh militant group.

Since the Taliban returned to power on Aug.15, dozens of bombs have been set off in eastern Nangarhar province -- a hotbed of Daesh activity -- but the capital Kabul has largely escaped such violence.

“I was in my car and an explosion happened in the vehicle in front of us,” a witness said.

“It was completely burnt.” He said the explosion occurred near a Taliban checkpoint, and that gunfire could be heard briefly immediately aterwards.

A nearby hospital posted a notice saying it had admited one dead and four injured.

Two Taliban officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Daesh was also behind Saturday’s atack but there was no official comment from the group’s security forces.

Taliban spokesman Zabihulla Mujahid said a fire had broken out in Dasht-e Barchi, killing at least one civilian and injuring two others.

An investigation was underway, he said in a tweet. A local, man who gave his name as Ismael, said he had reached the site a few minutes ater the explosion, which occurred a day ater an atack on a mosque in eastern Afghanistan.

“When I arrived, I saw the big flames,” he said. “It was a minivan which was targeted by a sticky bomb.” He said a friend who had helped carried wounded to a nearby hospital said at least three or four people had been killed.

Images shared on social media on Saturday showed flames and a thick cloud of black smoke spiralling into the sky. At least two people suffered se rious burn injuries, according to a director of a nearby hospital that specialises in burn cases.

The blast comes a day ater at least three people were killed and 15 wounded by a bomb at a mosque Nangarhar.

That bombing -- for which no group has yet claimed responsibility -- underscores the many challenges facing the new Taliban regime in Afghanistan, with the UN warning the country is also on the brink of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

In a statement, the Nangarhar governor’s office said officials had arrested two “perpetrators,” but provided no other details.

“Further investigation into the incident is ongoing and more actions will be taken,” it said.