Kabul blast: Suicide bomber kills seven TV staff

Seven employees of a popular privately-run Afghan TV channel were killed after their bus was targeted by a suicide car bomber in the capital Kabul.

At least 20 others - including passers-by - were wounded.

Tolo TV tweeted: "Unfortunately, in the terrorist attack today... we lost seven staff members".

The Taliban said it carried out the attack. It had threatened to target Tolo over its news coverage of the fighting in Kunduz city in September.

The bus was reportedly taking staff from Tolo and its parent media organisation home for the day when it was rammed by the suicide bomber in central Kabul. The explosion sent black smoke billowing into the sky, with emergency services rushing to the scene.

A Tolo TV reporter told the BBC's Kawoon Khamoosh he was fortunate to be alive after nearly burning to death.

Announcing what had happened in a live broadcast, Tolo news presenter Fawad Aman said: "The enemy of humanity, peace and Islam martyred our colleagues because they were exposing their crimes.  "They martyred you to silence us, but they will never achieve this evil goal."

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack in a tweet, describing it as a "barbaric attack carried out by coward terrorists".

Since the beginning of 2016, the city has been hit by at least six bomb attacks - in the most recent, on Sunday, a rocket landed near the Italian embassy, wounding two security guards. The Indian and Pakistani missions have also recently been targeted in other parts of the country. - Read More at the BBC

Kabul blast: Suicide bomber kills seven TV staff - BBC News