A suicide car bomb has exploded outside the gates of the NATO headquarters in Afghanistan, killing seven and wounding almost 100.
The attack in the capital city of Kabul comes just five days before the country's presidential elections.
This morning's explosion is the first major attack in the city since February, when the Taliban struck at three government buildings simultaneously, claiming 20 lives.
It is believed the bomber evaded three police checkpoints to detonate the bomb 30 yards from the main gate of the international military base, close to the US embassy and presidential palace, at 8.30am local time.
The blast shattered windows and shook buildings in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, home to major foreign embassies and organisations. The Afghan Defence Ministry has confirmed at least seven people were killed and 91 have been injured.
Among the injured was Awa Alam Nuristani, a member of parliament and President Hamid Karzai’s campaign manager for women, who was taken to hospital for treatment.
Brigadier General Eric Tremblay, the spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, confirmed soldiers and civilians had been wounded but would not confirm how many.
The president condemned the attacks, saying in a statement: “The enemies of Afghanistan, by conducting such attacks, are trying to create fear among the people as we get close to the election but people still realise the importance of going to ballot boxes to cast their votes."
Pre-election polls suggest President Karzai has a lead over closest rival Abdullah Abdullah, but it is not great enough to avoid a second round run-off between the two.
A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack, following warnings that militants aimed to disrupt the election process.
Source:The times
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