At least 12 people, including three children, were killed when a minivan packed with explosives rammed into a vehicle carrying foreigners during Kabul's morning rush hour Wednesday, officials said.
Four foreign nationals were among those wounded in the attack that targeted an SUV belonging to a private Canadian security company, GardaWorld - in a crowded neighbourhood which is near the interior ministry and north of Kabul airport.
"As a result of today's attack in Kabul, 12 people, including three children, were killed and 20 were wounded including four members of Gardaworld," Marwa Amini, an interior ministry spokeswoman, said. All those killed in the suicide attack were Afghan civilians, and the nationalities of the foreigners wounded were not confirmed.
Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi said that one of those killed was a 13-year-old child heading to school.
"The enemies of our people should know that our people are determined for peace, nothing can stop them from achieving peace," he said.
A source at the interior ministry said the blast was detonated by a suicide bomber in the vehicle.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Both the Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in the city, which is one of the deadliest places in the war-torn country for civilians.
The blast came one day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced that Kabul would release three high-ranking Taliban prisoners in an apparent prisoner swap with Western hostages who were kidnapped by the insurgents in 2016.
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