Two foreigners, an American and an Indian, were said to be among four people killed in this week’s massive suicide truck bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, VOA news reports.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for plotting Monday’s bomb-and-gun raid against the capital city’s high security Green Village complex, which houses offices and residences of foreign companies and charities.
The slain American, 55-year-old Mano “Paul” Kamaleson, was working for the First MicroFinance Bank in Kabul when the attack happened.
India has also confirmed that one of its nationals was among the dead. An Indian Embassy statement Tuesday strongly condemned what it said was a horrific and cowardly act of terror.
The Afghan Interior Ministry said the powerful blast wounded more than 100 people, including women and children.The victims were mostly Afghan civilians, it noted.
Security camera footage released via social media shows insurgents detonated a sewage truck packed with explosives near the complex that has previously also come under attack.
The Taliban said five of its members participated in the operation against what it described as a foreign intelligence site and claimed the attack resulted in dozens of casualties.
A suicide bomber drove and detonated the truck before his heavily armed partners stormed the facility, said the insurgent group.
Khalilzad back in Kabul
The deadly attack happened a day before U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, landed in Kabul to brief the Afghan leadership about his meetings with officials of regional countries.
The Trump administration has tasked Khalilzad to try to arrange negotiations between Afghan government and Taliban representatives with the help of countries around Afghanistan to find a political settlement to the Afghan conflict.
Meanwhile, Afghan officials said Wednesday at least two policemen were killed at a security outpost in southern Kandahar province when their colleague turned his gun on them. A provincial government statement said the incident happened late Tuesday in Panjwayee district, saying the assailant fled the scene.
The Taliban claimed the shooter was one of its infiltrators in Afghan forces and that he killed five personnel before fleeing and rejoining insurgent ranks.