Kabul once again hit by bloody attacks.
The Afghan authorities announced on Sunday December 20 that a car bomb explosion left eight dead and fifteen injured.
In recent months, the Afghan capital has been plagued by an upsurge in violence despite ongoing peace talks between the Taliban and the government.
The Interior Ministry spokesman accused "the terrorists" of being responsible for the attack.
Women and children are among the victims, he said.
A source working in the security sector said the car bomb exploded in the west of the capital.
"It was a powerful explosion which caused extensive damage to houses located nearby," said an official in the Ministry of Health.
TV footage shows at least two cars on fire, with plumes of thick black smoke.
The attack had not yet been claimed early Sunday afternoon.
The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility in recent weeks for several bloody attacks in the capital, including those against the university and another educational center, which have left more than 50 people dead as well as a recent series of attacks in the capital. rocket.
On Saturday, five rockets were fired at the American air base in Bagram (northeast) in Afghanistan, without causing injuries or causing material damage in the compound.
They have been claimed by ISIS.
Over 2,000 civilians killed between January and September
The car bomb on Sunday comes two days after at least 15 children were killed and 20 people injured in a motorcycle explosion near a religious rally in Ghazni province.
The authorities accused the Taliban of being behind it.
At the time of the explosion, children and adults were gathered to attend a reading of the Koran, a usual activity on this holy day of Friday for Muslims, in the district of Gilan, about 120 km from Ghazni, the capital. of the province.
The Taliban have denied any involvement, saying the blast occurred when "unexploded ordnance" detonated near the children.
Several provinces of Afghanistan are in the throes of an upsurge in violence.
Between January and September, more than 2,100 civilians were killed and more than 3,800 injured, according to the UN mission in Afghanistan.
Talks suspended until January 5
Peace talks have been underway since September in Doha between the two camps.
These negotiations were suspended until January 5.
The two sides have yet to agree on the agenda for the talks.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has called for the next round of talks to take place in Afghanistan.
Under a separate deal with the Taliban reached in February in Doha, the United States agreed to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for security guarantees and insurgent engagement. to be discussed with Kabul.
Taliban negotiators were in Pakistan on Friday to meet with Prime Minister Imran Khan, who called for a reduction in violence and a ceasefire.
With AFP
The summary of the week
France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application
google-play-badge_FR