At least two civilians were injured on Monday in an explosion caused by a sticky bomb attached to a car belonging to the Italian embassy in Kabul, the first targeted attack of this kind against diplomatic staff in Afghanistan.
The attack took place around 7.35 am in the western part of the capital, when a sticky bomb attached to the vehicle exploded and the car was “partially damaged,” Kabul police spokesperson Firdaws Faramarz told EFE, without providing further details.
Another member of the security forces confirmed to EFE on the condition of anonymity that the vehicle belonged to the “Italian embassy,” and was carrying two Afghan nationals, who escaped unharmed.
However, two civilians present at the spot suffered minor injuries in the attack, according to the source.
The Italian embassy in Kabul has not confirmed or denied the incident so far.
Afghanistan has for months been witnessing a series of unprecedented targeted attacks on journalists, activists, politicians and intellectuals in the country, where shootings or bombings against victims’ vehicles have become an almost daily reality.
However, this is the first time that employees of an embassy have been targeted in this way.
Targeted killings and violence against civil society figures has increased significantly after the Taliban signed an agreement with the United States almost a year ago that pledged to reduce violence and major attacks.
Although the government has directly blamed the Taliban for the killings, the insurgent group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks, and has in turn blamed Afghan security forces for carrying them out to fabricate negative propaganda against them.
Since signing the peace agreement with the US in Doha on Feb. 29, 2020, the Taliban have not openly attacked any foreign targets in Afghanistan.
Follow the latest news on Google News
