It was with his hand covered with a bandage that Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh returned to the attack he suffered in central Kabul on Wednesday, September 9.

"This morning as we were on our way to my office, our convoy was attacked. I'm fine, but some of my guards were injured," he said in a video posted on Facebook.

"I have burns on my face and hand," added the former head of the Afghan intelligence service.

>> To read: Amrullah Saleh, the "survivor" of Afghan politics

Six people were killed and twelve people were injured, Akmal Samsoorn, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told AFP.

Interior Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian confirmed the attack, adding that two dead and 12 injured had so far been identified.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack.

"Today's explosion has nothing to do with us," responded Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, interviewed by AFP.

According to an associate of the vice president, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, a suicide bomber blew himself up near the convoy as Amrullah Saleh walked to his office.

Abdullah, a trader who, like many Afghans, only uses one name, said his windows were smashed in the explosion.

"A store that sells gas cylinders also caught fire, causing the cylinders to explode," he added.

"It's a war that involves blood"

Known for his hostile positions against the Taliban, Amrullah Saleh had already escaped an assassination attempt last summer during the presidential campaign, when a suicide bomber and gunmen attacked his offices.

The attack left at least 20 dead, mostly civilians, and 50 wounded.

A few months later, he confided in the Indian site The Print.

"It's a serious fight. It's not a war of words. It's a war that involves blood. They didn't risk missing me, but they did, they did. were missing ", he commented adding that" the mastermind (of the attack) was the ISI ", the powerful military intelligence agency of Pakistan, of which he had denounced" the frightening interference and manipulation of Afghan society ".

In a tweet, the Foreign Ministry “strongly condemned” this new attack.

"It is a relief that the first vice president is unharmed," continued Islamabad, whom Kabul and Washington accuse of supporting the Taliban, which Pakistan denies.

"The first test for the Taliban is a ceasefire"

Wednesday's attack comes as the Afghan negotiating team and the Taliban are set to start groundbreaking peace talks in Qatar soon.

On Sunday, Amrullah Saleh had said that the Taliban's commitment to peace would be measured from the start of negotiations, when the Kabul delegation pressed for a permanent ceasefire.

"The first test for the Taliban is (a) ceasefire," Amrullah Saleh said in an interview with Tolo News, a private Afghan television station.

"If they accept a cease-fire, they are committed to peace. If not, they are not," he insisted.

While preparations are underway for the Doha talks, the violence has not stopped.

On Tuesday, the Afghan president's spokesman accused the Taliban of carrying out daily attacks across the country.

"These attacks shatter the hope of millions of Afghans who dream of peace and who are anxious to see the peace talks begin and the violence to end," he wrote on Twitter.

Scheduled for March, the opening of a peace dialogue, unprecedented between the two camps, has been postponed several times due to disagreements over a prisoner exchange which is now almost completed.

The date of their start has not yet been set as several countries including France and Australia oppose the release of the last six captives, guilty of having killed several of their nationals.

According to Amrullah Saleh, these prisoners will be transferred to Qatar.

With AFP

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