KABUL: A car bomb explosion followed by several blasts and rapid gunfire rocked the Afghan capital on Tuesday, not far from the heavily fortified Green Zone that houses several embassies, including the US mission.
The car bomb blew up in central Kabul late in the evening, sending a thick plume of smoke into the sky.
A security official said the explosion happened near Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi’s residence, not far from the Green Zone.
“Do not worry, everything is fine,” Mohammadi tweeted after the blast.
Less than two hours after the car bomb detonated, another loud blast followed by smaller explosions and rapid gunfire again shook Kabul, in what appeared to be the same area of the city.
Afghan army warns Lashkar Gah residents to flee as Taliban closes in on key city
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Families Flee As Afghan Army Battles Taliban For Control Of Besieged City
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Afghan army warns people to flee homes in besieged city
Issued on:
04/08/2021 - 04:49 Afghan forces and Taliban militants are battling for control of three key cities Hoshang Hashimi AFP 4 min
Kabul (AFP)
The Afghan army was planning a major counter-attack Wednesday to drive the Taliban out of a key southern city, warning residents they must immediately flee their homes.
Dozens of civilians have already died in the battle for Lashkar Gah, a city of 200,000 people that would be the Taliban s biggest urban prize since the insurgents launched a nationwide offensive in May.
The Taliban have taken control of vast swathes of the countryside and key border towns as they have rushed to fill the vacuum left by withdrawing US forces.