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ConflictsAfghanistan

Afghanistan: Explosion at military airfield kills several

January 1, 2023

The Afghan Interior Ministry said the blast occurred at the entrance to a military airfield in Kabul, killing and injuring an unknown number of people.

https://p.dw.com/p/4LbzF
Taliban fighters guard the site of an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast at the military airfield in Kabul, AfghanistanImage: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP/picture alliance

A blast at a checkpoint near a military airfield in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killed and wounded a number of people on Sunday, according to local authorities.

A spokesman for the country's Interior Ministry said the explosion took place at the entrance of the military facility, which is right next to Kabul international airport.

"This morning, an explosion took place outside Kabul military airport, due to which a number of our citizens were martyred and injured," spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor told Reuters news agency.

Residents living close to the facility reported a loud explosion before 8 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. UTC) and said the area had been closed off by security forces.

While the circumstances and cause of the blast have yet to be determined, there have been numerous attacks against the Taliban since the group took power in Afghanistan in August 2021. 

The so-called Islamic State – Khorasan Province, a local affiliate of IS, has in the past claimed responsibility for many attacks.

kb/ar (AFP, Reuters)