Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Afghanistan explosion: 20 killed in blast near diplomatic area

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) - A huge explosion hit near foreign embassies in Kabul on Wednesday morning, killing at least 20 people and injuring 300 others, Afghan officials said.

Video from the scene showed a massive plume of smoke and emergency vehicles speeding toward it. Soldiers in fatigues stood with guns drawn nearby as sounds of screams, blaring sirens and traffic pierced the morning sky.

Bystanders lifted an injured man from the back of a pickup as others hovered nearby in bloody clothes, some pressing pieces of cloth to their wounds.

The blast was caused by a suicide attack near the German Embassy, according to Najib Danish, a spokesman for the interior ministry. The health ministry said the people injured were taken to various hospitals.

Wall Street Journal reporter Jessica Donati said a vehicle packed with explosives detonated close to the green zone entrance. It injured one employee and shattered windows in the newspaper's bureau, which is in the most fortified area and requires passing through several checkpoints to get there, she said.

"A lot of people come into this part of the city to work in embassies or at the military base," she said,

The green zone houses western embassies, government institutions and the residences of high-ranking officials and their families. - Read More

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