Agencies
Islamabad
There were reports of casualties after an explosion near the gate of a military hospital in Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan area, Taliban officials said on Tuesday.
Al Jazeera quoted interior ministry sources saying that at least 19 people were killed and 43 others were wounded.
Two explosions hit the entrance of the Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan military hospital, Afghanistan’s biggest military hospital, on Tuesday, followed immediately by heavy gunfire, officials said.
Taliban government deputy spokesperson Bilal Karimi said that the blast struck near the gate of Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan military hospital.
Initial reports suggested that the blast was followed by a gunfight but Karimi did not confirm those. Interior Ministry spokesperon Qari Saeed Khosty said that Taliban’s special forces have arrived at the site of the blast.
He added that the blast has caused casualties but details will be shared later. Pictures shared on social media show a plume of smoke in the sky. Despite reports about a possible suicide attack, the Taliban official said the nature of the incident is not yet clear. Investigations are under way.
Meanwhile, a reportfromGeneva said that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has sent the first of three planes to Afghanistan carrying aid to get displaced people through the cold winter months, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
On board were 33 tonnes of provisions for people without fixed residence, the UNHCR official said in Geneva. Families are to receive 25 kilograms each of supplies, including flooring and wall tiles to insulate tents and houses.
Many Afghans displaced by fighting, especially at the beginning of the year, have since returned to their villages, she said, but even there they are poorly equipped to survive the winter.
Winter temperatures in Afghanistan can drop to minus 25 degrees Celsius. Two more planes are expected to fly aid to Kabul by the end of the week. Violence and conflict have displaced 3.5 million people in Afghanistan, including 700,000 who fled this year. The UNHCR aims to provide half a million of them with aid.
Islamabad
There were reports of casualties after an explosion near the gate of a military hospital in Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan area, Taliban officials said on Tuesday.
Al Jazeera quoted interior ministry sources saying that at least 19 people were killed and 43 others were wounded.
Two explosions hit the entrance of the Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan military hospital, Afghanistan’s biggest military hospital, on Tuesday, followed immediately by heavy gunfire, officials said.
Taliban government deputy spokesperson Bilal Karimi said that the blast struck near the gate of Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan military hospital.
Initial reports suggested that the blast was followed by a gunfight but Karimi did not confirm those. Interior Ministry spokesperon Qari Saeed Khosty said that Taliban’s special forces have arrived at the site of the blast.
He added that the blast has caused casualties but details will be shared later. Pictures shared on social media show a plume of smoke in the sky. Despite reports about a possible suicide attack, the Taliban official said the nature of the incident is not yet clear. Investigations are under way.
Meanwhile, a reportfromGeneva said that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has sent the first of three planes to Afghanistan carrying aid to get displaced people through the cold winter months, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
On board were 33 tonnes of provisions for people without fixed residence, the UNHCR official said in Geneva. Families are to receive 25 kilograms each of supplies, including flooring and wall tiles to insulate tents and houses.
Many Afghans displaced by fighting, especially at the beginning of the year, have since returned to their villages, she said, but even there they are poorly equipped to survive the winter.
Winter temperatures in Afghanistan can drop to minus 25 degrees Celsius. Two more planes are expected to fly aid to Kabul by the end of the week. Violence and conflict have displaced 3.5 million people in Afghanistan, including 700,000 who fled this year. The UNHCR aims to provide half a million of them with aid.