Taliban Bombs Kabul on the First Day of the Year, Killing Two

An explosion struck the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday evening, killing 2 and wounding 19 people.

An explosion struck the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday evening, killing two people and wounding 19, officials from Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry said.

Spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Sediq Sediqqi said on Saturday that a 12-year-old boy and one of the security guards at the Le Jardin restaurant were killed, and another 18 people were wounded in the attack.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, and said one of their suicide bombers were involved. He also said the bomber targeted a restaurant belonging to foreigners.

The explosion went off in a central residential area in Kabul, which is home to many Afghan officials and where many guesthouses are also located.

Sediq Sediqqi also said that security forces fanned out at the site of the explosion, “looking for any other possible terrorist in the area,” arresting one suspect.

A second attacker was also arrested later by the Afghan police who said that the attacker was wearing a military uniform and carrying arms and grenades.

Ahmad Parwaiz, a local resident said “windows were shattered and our house was damaged.” He said he thought maybe one of the “guesthouses in the area belonging to the foreigners” was the target.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks against the Afghan security forces across the country throughout last year, following the formal end of the U.S. and NATO combat mission.

Spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said Saturday that a 12-year-old boy and one of the security guards at the Le Jardin restaurant were killed and that another 18 people were wounded in the attack.