KABUL. A powerful explosion followed by gunfire was heard near the Presidential Palace in Kabul. Witnesses report this to the Anadolu agency. The area is in the center of the Afghan capital, where government offices, embassies and humanitarian agencies are located. There are no claims as of this moment.
Emergency, in a tweet, speaks of a “strong explosion at the Bakhtawar Palace, not far from our hospital, and an ongoing armed conflict”. “So far – he adds – we have received six patients”.
According to Tolo news the explosion was caused by a car bomb that targeted the residence of the Minister of Defense, Bismillah Mohammadi, who was not there at the time.
The explosion, which took place in the center of Kabul around 8 pm, is accompanied by heavy clashes between Afghan forces and the Taliban in several Afghan cities: the Afghan forces in particular are fighting the Taliban in Lashkar Gah in the Helmand province, where the army called on residents to evacuate and heralded an offensive.