Afghan gov't, NATO condemn Taliban car bomb in Kabul

KABUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The government of Afghanistan and the NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) have strongly condemned the suicide car bomb that left some 100 people dead and injured in the Afghan capital Saturday.

In the deadly blast for which Taliban claimed responsibility, seven persons, all of them civilians, have been confirmed dead and over 90 others got wounded.

Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the insurgents in talks with media via telephone from undisclosed location said that a suicide bomber exploded his car full of 500kg explosive device at 9:00 a.m., killing 24 employees of U.S. embassy and foreign troops besides destroying four vehicles.

"Riding an explosive-laden car, the bomber blew it up in front of ISAF gate at around 08:30 a.m. local time, killing three civilians and wounding 85 others," Interior Ministry said in a press release.

Meantime, Defense Ministry in a statement put the number of casualties seven and those sustained injuries as high as 91 including a female parliamentarian.

The NATO-led ISAF forces also in a statement described the attack as a coward terrorist act against civilians and denounced it.

"The insurgents prove once again that they use indiscriminate violence that kills or injures scores of innocent Afghan civilians," said Brig. Gen. Eric Tremblay, ISAF Spokesman said in a press release.

It also added that a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near ISAF Headquarters, Kabul, Afghanistan, around 8:30 a.m. today left injured several ISAF service members but no ISAF personnel were killed in the blast, it stressed.

Moreover, Afghan Foreign Ministry in a statement termed the blast a coward terrorist act and strongly denounced it.

"This inhuman act carried out by the enemies of Afghanistan to derail the electoral process won't deter the people from going towards election and democratic process," the statement emphasized.