RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
August 19, 2020
KABUL — Police say two sticky bombs that targeted Afghan government employees in Kabul killed two people on August 19 and wounded two others.
The attacks came a day after a rocket salvo that hit residential and diplomatic areas in the city claimed the lives of three people and wounded 16, according to the Interior Ministry.
One of the sticky bombs was attached to a police vehicle, while the other was attached to a car belonging to the Education Ministry, according to Kabul police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz.
Abdulbaqi Amin, head of the Education Ministry’s Science Council, was killed in the second blast, a spokeswoman for the ministry was quoted as saying.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said he was not aware of the attacks, which took place as the United States is withdrawing troops while trying to usher in peace talks between the Taliban and the Western-backed government in Kabul to end nearly 19 years of war.
On August 18, officials said a total of 14 rockets were fired into central Kabul as Afghanistan marked the 101st anniversary of its independence.
Interior Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said that those killed in the strikes included two government employees.
He did not specify who the employees were, but the AFP news agency quoted two officials as saying they were members of President Ashraf Ghani’s guard of honor.
Another six honor guard members were reportedly wounded when one of the missiles landed in the presidential palace compound.
The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility for these attacks.
With reporting by AFP, AP, and dpa
Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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