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At least 12 people were killed in Kabul on Saturday when a suicide bomber targeted a NATO convoy making its way through a busy part of the Afghan capital. Three US civilian contractors working for NATO were among the dead.
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The attack occurred at around 4:20pm local time in the residential neighborhood of Makroyan during the evening rush hour when most people were getting home from work. Early reports from the Afghan Health Ministry said 27 civilians were injured in the blast, including five women.
The US Embassy in Kabul “strongly condemned” the terror attack. “At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families who suffered as a result of this attack,” the embassy said in a statement on Saturday. “The United States remains committed to assisting our Afghan partners in their efforts to ensure a peaceful future for Afghanistan.”
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People survey a damaged vehicle at the scene of a bomb explosion in Kabul on August 22, 2015. (Photos by Jawad Jalali/EPA)
The director of Resolute Support Public Affairs confirmed that three civilian contractors were killed. “One Resolute Support contracted civilian was killed in the attack and two others died of wounds as a result of the attack. We are gathering further information,” US Army Col. Brian Tribus said in a statement.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied his group was responsible on Twitter, according to the AP.
“A lot of dead bodies and wounded victims were there after the explosion happened in the area,” Mohammad Hussain, who was wounded in the attack, told the Associated Press. “There were a lot of casualties.”
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