Two Taliban suicide bombers hit army buses in Kabul Wednesday, killing at least seven people in a coordinated attack, officials said, a day after the new Afghan government signed a deal for US troops to stay in the country.
The Taliban, who strongly opposed the agreement with the US, claimed responsibility for the early-morning twin blasts that targeted vehicles taking military employees to work in the capital.
“There have been two suicide attacks targeting buses carrying Afghan national army personnel,” Farid Afzali, chief of the city's police investigation department, told AFP.
“Six military personnel and one civilian were killed in one attack, and 15 were injured. Four military personnel were injured in the other attack. “Ministry of Defence spokesman General Zahir Azimi confirmed the death toll and injured.
There were conflicting reports on whether the attackers were on foot or driving cars laden with explosives. The Taliban claimed responsibility for both blasts and said at least 20 soldiers were killed, but the insurgents regularly exaggerate death tolls after attacks.
“This is a clear message to the stooge government that signed the slave pact, and we will step up our attacks after this,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP.
Afghanistan and the United States on Tuesday signed the long-delayed bilateral security agreement (BSA) to allow about 10,000 US troops to stay in the country next year.
The signing took place on newly-inaugurated President Ashraf Ghani's first day in office and represented a major step towards mending frayed ties between Kabul and Washington.
