4 killed, 3 injured in Kabul massive truck bombing: police

KABUL, Aug. 2 : (Xinhua) — One police and three militants were killed and three police wounded in a truck bombing and ensuing gunfight on a foreign compound on eastern outskirts of Afghan capital of Kabul overnight, the provincial police chief said Monday.

“One militant rammed a truck bomb at the wall of North Gate camp which gives home to several foreign companies and logistic firms. Two armed militants tried to enter the facility but police intercepted them. The attackers took position in a nearby building, triggering a gun battle lasting for a while,” General Abdul Rahman Rahimi told reporters at the site.

The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the attack that occurred roughly at 01:25 local time. The complex was also frequented by foreign contractors.”Our initial findings showed that no casualties occurred to the people inside the complex which is located in Dispachari locality of Pul-e-Charkhi area,” the police chief said.

It is not immediately known how many people were inside the complex when the massive blast took place.”The blast walls have absorbed the force of the explosion,” the police chief noted.The Afghan Special Operation Forces arrived shortly and launched a counter attack. One policeman was killed and three others injured during the exchange of the fire with the militants.

The huge sound of the explosion caused panic among local residents and following the massive blast the city was plunged in darkness for a while.

The targeted building is located in an industrial park. The blast caused a huge crater and severely damaged the surrounding buildings.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, told local media that a Taliban suicide squad conducted a complex attack against a foreign guest house and the attack was part of Taliban yearly rebel offensive.

He said the explosion and gunfight have claimed the lives of dozens of foreigners. Several people were injured by broken glasses and shattered windows in surrounding areas, according to local media reports.

This is the second attack against the stricken building. The Taliban attacked the same complex in 2013 through a car bombing.On April 19, the Taliban launched a similar attack on a security complex in central Kabul, killing 64 people and injuring over 350 others. Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah strongly condemned the incident.