ISIS Claims Responsibility For Blast In Kabul That Kills 8 Afghans

By Doreen McCallister / NPR

Published May 2, 2017 at 10:50 PM PDT

This story was published more than 7 years ago.

Security forces inspect the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. A deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry said the target of the blast was a convoy of foreign forces.

At least eight Afghan civilians were killed on Wednesday in the Afghan capital of Kabul when a suicide bomber attacked a military convoy.

Another 25 Afghan civilians were wounded, according to Najib Danish, a deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

Three U.S. service members were wounded in the morning rush-hour attack, which happened near the U.S. Embassy, a U.S. military spokesman says.

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Members of the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The Associated Press reports:

"The Islamic State group claimed the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq media arm. An affiliate of the extremist group has gathered strength in recent years, and is now at war with both the U.S.-backed government and the much larger Taliban insurgency."Afghan forces have struggled to combat both groups since the U.S. and NATO officially concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a support and counterterrorism role. The U.S. has more than 8,000 troops in the country."

The Taliban began their spring offensive last week, vowing to target foreign forces.

Reuters reports:

"A number of civilian vehicles that were near the convoy were destroyed or badly damaged. "The armored personnel carriers, which are designed to withstand large blasts, were able to return to a coalition base under their own power, U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Salvin says. "The heavily armored MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles that coalition forces use to travel in Kabul appeared to have suffered only relatively minor external damage, witnesses said. " 'One vehicle was damaged, but was still operational,' Salvin confirmed."