A car bomb explosion outside NATO headquarters has rocked the Afghan capital, killing seven people and wounding 91 others as the country prepares for a presidential election.
- The explosion, at the main gate of the NATO compound, occurred about 8:30 a.m. local time in a heavily fortified area that also includes the US embassy and the Afghan presidential palace, the Telegraph reported.
- A security source in Kabul told Press TV that a number of NATO soldiers were injured in the attack while a few Afghan forces were killed. Another security source said Hawa Alam Noorestani, an Afghan lawmaker, was killed in the attack.
- The Taliban has reportedly taken responsibility for the blast which came only five days before the crucial presidential and provincial council elections.
- Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said 500 kg of explosive materials were used in the attack. He claimed that at least 22 foreign soldiers were killed in the blast, which destroyed 8 vehicles and damaged nearby buildings.
- President Hamid Karzai, who is ahead according to the latest polls, is seeking a second term in the election that has been denounced by the Taliban as an “American process,” the Washington Post reported.
- Civilians have been the main victims in the increasing violence as the August 20 polls near. A recent UN report on Afghanistan blames both indiscriminate US air strikes and insurgent bombings for the high number of civilian casualties in the country.
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