Huge bomb attack at Kabul airport

The bomb went off on Monday during the peak lunchtime period, officials said, warning that large numbers of casualties were expected.

Deputy Kabul police chief Sayed Gul Agha Rouhani said the explosion occurred at the first checkpoint of the airport.

Smoke billowed over the city after the blast went off around noon, and police, soldiers and ambulances rushed to the area.

Initial reports spoke of the explosion as being caused by a suicide car bomb attack.

In an early count, officials said at least five people had been killed including the bomber, and 16 injured.

Taliban rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted a convoy of foreign troops passing by the area.

Taliban power transition

The explosion follows a wave of blasts on Friday that killed at least 51 people in the capital in attacks near an army complex, a police academy and a US special forces base.

They were the first major attacks after Taliban insurgents named Mullah Akhtar Mansour their new chief last week after previously confirming the death of longtime leader Mullah Omar.

Afghan security forces have been facing their first summer fighting season without support from US-led NATO forces, who ended their combat mission in the country in December. A 13,000-strong residual force remains for training and counterterrorism operations.

tj/kms (Reuters, AFP)