Twin Taliban suicide blasts in Kabul kill 24

TIL Desk/World/Kabul-At least 24 people were killed today when two Taliban suicide bombers on foot struck close to the defence ministry in Kabul during late afternoon rush hour, the latest assault on the Afghan capital. Around 30 others were wounded in the assault, which comes as the Taliban intensify their nationwide offensive against the US-backed government.

The two bombers blew themselves up in rapid succession, in an attack apparently aimed at inflicting mass casualties as government workers left the ministry after work. “The first explosion occurred on a bridge near the defence ministry. When soldiers, policemen and civilians rushed to the scene, there was the second explosion,” defence ministry told.

Health ministry said 24 people were killed in the blasts. The Italian-run Emergency Hospital in Kabul tweeted that it had so far received 10 injured people, with more expected to arrive. President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the attack. “The enemies of Afghanistan are losing the fight in the ground battle with security forces,” Ghani said in a statement. “That is why they are attacking, highways, cities, mosques, schools and ordinary people.”