Afghanistan: Roadside explosions in a crowded market kill 3 including a child; 20 injured

At least three were killed, including a child, and 20 others injured in a deadly roadside explosion that rocked Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul on Sunday, a police official said. Ferdaws Faramarz told the Associated Press agency that the first two blasts tore through the motorcades 15 minutes apart, targeting a police vehicle. A child nearby was fatally wounded, and 5 other civilians in the immediate vicinity were killed, including the driver. The explosive device, according to the police, was attached with the magnets to the vehicle and was detonated using a remote control. A third explosion rocked a bustling, overcrowded commercial market, claiming one civilian and critically wounding two police officers. As many as 15 more casualties were reported, provincial police spokesman for Helmand, Mohammad Zaman Hamdard told ground reporters. 

No terror groups claimed responsibility immediately. Afghan police launched a probe into all 3 explosions. Earlier on Saturday, a similar magnetic bomb explosion targeted a national army soldiers convoy in northwestern Kabul, that claimed the lives of 2 soldiers. Another blast occurred inside a civilian car that wounded both the passenger and the driver.  Meanwhile, two hours later, a third blast destroyed a police van in western Kabul, killing two officers, at least 2 were injured.

[Security personnel inspects the site of a deadly roadside bomb explosion in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. Credit: AP]

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Surge in terror attacks

The country, lately, has witnessed a surge in terror attacks and spike in bombings after peace negotiations between peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government stalled. While the United States said it was reviewing the Taliban peace deal under the new Biden administration, the Trump era accord involves Washington’s commitments of withdrawal of US troops from the war-torn region by May 1. Earlier last week, the Afghan National Army commandos freed 23 security personnel from a  Taliban-run prison in northern Kunduz province, according to the sources of state-run Pajhwok Afghan News. “The special operation was launched in Kabuli Qishlaq village of Haqtash district Wednesday night. No armed clash took place following the raid as the militants manning the Taliban hideout fled before troops' arrival”, a local official, Omar Haqtash told reporters. The Taliban meanwhile did not immediately comment on the rescue operation. 

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