Powerful Explosion Rocks Capital City Kabul in Afghanistan, 68 people reportedly injured

Kabul: A powerful explosion today rocked the Afghan capital, Kabul, rattling windows and sending smoke billowing from the downtown area near the U.S. Embassy.

As per information, at least 68 people were wounded in the sensational blast incident. The explosion occurred as the streets in Kabul were packed with morning commuters.

Respective Sources informed that the sound shook their office building, with sporadic gunfire and the wail of ambulance sirens piercing the air.

The attack comes as the Taliban and the United States hold talks in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar, where the terror group maintains a political office.

At first, a car bomb took place and then several attackers took over a building. The area is cordoned off by the police special forces and (they) are bringing down the attackers," interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

Meanwhile, Health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar tweeted that 65 wounded people, including nine children, had been taken to hospital. He warned that casualties could rise.

The Taliban claimed the attack, which came just two days after the insurgents began the seventh round of talks with the US in Qatar as Washington's eyes a breakthrough before Afghanistan's September presidential election.

Militant spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid released a statement saying the insurgents had targeted a defense ministry building in the area, which was quickly blocked off by Afghan forces and ambulances, with helicopter gunships seen overhead as the firing continued.

Authorities have not confirmed the target. The heavily-secured neighborhood is home to some military and government buildings, including one shared by Afghanistan's intelligence agency and defence ministry, as well as the Afghan Football Federation and Cricket Board.

"We were sitting inside the office when the world turned upside down on us," Zaher Usman, an employee at a branch of the culture ministry, which he said stands just 150 metres (yards) from the blast.

He said the blast appeared to have occurred near Gulbahar Tower, which contains a shopping mall and residential units and is next to a defence ministry building.

"When I opened my eyes, the office was filled with smoke and dust and everything was broken, my colleagues were screaming," Usman told further.

Shams Amini, a football federation spokesman, told the new agencies that the blast occurred near their HQ gates.

"Some of our colleagues are trapped inside; we have reports of some injuries. We don't know if the attackers have entered the building," he said.

Nearby Shamshad TV station, which was attacked in 2017, aired images of broken glass and damage to its offices.

It is to be noted that the explosion came as the US was set to begin the third day of negotiations with the militants in Doha. There was no immediate confirmation if they would go ahead after the blast.

The talks have so far centered on four issues -- counter-terrorism, the foreign troop presence, an intra-Afghan dialogue and a permanent ceasefire.

A potential deal would see the US agree to withdraw its troops after more than 17 years in Afghanistan, igniting deep concerns among huge swathes of Afghans who fear the militants will return to some semblance of power.

In return, the Taliban would guarantee the country would never again become a safe haven for violent extremist groups, as happened with Al-Qaeda before the September 11, 2001 attacks.

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