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Kabul (dpa) - When numerous mortar shells hit the Afghan capital Kabul, at least eight people were killed.
A further 31 people were injured in the attack, said a spokesman for the Interior Ministry.
According to this, 23 shells hit mostly residential areas.
At first no one confessed to the mortar attack.
According to eyewitnesses, several messages triggered the alarm in the heavily secured Green Zone in the heart of Kabul.
The state broadcaster RTA published photos of a burnt out pickup truck from which the grenades are said to have been fired.
The militant Islamist Taliban denied being responsible for the attack.
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A similar attack had already taken place in August.
Several people were injured and killed when more than a dozen rockets hit Kabul.
At that time, the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia claimed the attack for itself.
Despite the start of intra-Afghan peace talks in Qatar between the Taliban and the government, the conflict in the country continues.
IS also regularly carries out attacks.
Vice President Amrullah Saleh announced a few weeks ago that he would ensure more security in the capital.
In a statement on Saturday, Saleh admitted that he had not yet achieved these goals.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has meanwhile traveled to the region and wants to meet negotiating delegations from the conflicting parties in Qatar.
The USA signed an agreement with the Taliban at the end of February that provides for a gradual withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan.
In return, the Taliban committed, among other things, to peace talks with Kabul.
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The incumbent US President Donald Trump recently announced that he would accelerate the withdrawal of troops.
In mid-January, only 2,500 US soldiers are supposed to be in the country.
It was an election promise made by Trump to end the US “endless wars”.
Experts warn of a hasty withdrawal from the country that could play into the hands of the Taliban.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201121-99-411682 / 3