Mohammad Ismail
As many as 80 people were killed and hundreds more wounded Wednesday when a massive car bomb went off in the diplomatic zone of Kabul during rush hour, shattering windows in houses hundreds of meters away. It was not immediately clear what the target of the suicide car bombing was, but the area is full of foreign embassies, and the presidential palace is not far away. Early reports indicate a tanker truck loaded with explosives entered the heavily guarded area. The blast was believed to be the most powerful in years, reportedly tearing doors off hinges in buildings half a mile away. Emergency officials on the ground put the number of people injured at more than 350; Interior Ministry Najib Danish spokesman said authorities were still trying to determine the exact number of casualties. “We don’t know at this moment what was the target of the attack, but most of the casualties are civilians,” Danish was cited as saying by the Associated Press. The Afghan Taliban have denied responsibly for the attack. The BBC reported one of its drivers was killed, and four journalists wounded in the attack.