| Kabul ambulance bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of theWar in Afghanistan | |
  Blast site Blast site (Kabul) Show map of Kabul Blast site Blast site (Afghanistan) Show map of Afghanistan | |
 Interactive map of Kabul ambulance bombing | |
| Location | 34°31′37″N69°10′09″E / 34.52694°N 69.16917°E /34.52694; 69.16917 Kabul,Afghanistan |
| Date | 27 January 2018 (UTC+04:30) |
Attack type | Suicidecar bombing |
| Weapons | Bomb |
| Deaths | 103 |
| Injured | 235 |
| Perpetrators | Taliban |
On 27 January 2018, anambulance was used as avehicle-borne improvised explosive device near Sidarat Square inKabul,Afghanistan. At least 103 people were killed and 235 others wounded in the attack.[1] TheTaliban claimed responsibility for the attack.[2][3]
On 27 January 2018,insurgents blew up anexplosives-packed ambulance near aninterior ministry building on a busy and heavily-guarded street in the Afghan capital Kabul duringrush hour.[4][2] The bombers detonated the explosives while passing through the second in a series ofcheckpoints near Kabul's embassies andgovernment buildings including theEuropean Unionembassies. Theexplosion was so powerful that the shock was felt around the capital, collapsing buildings and destroying façades in the immediate area.[1] The Jamhuriat Hospital, government offices, businesses and a school are close to the site of the blast.[5] It was the third major attack in seven days, following shootingsat an aid agency inJalalabad,Nangarhar Province, andat the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul.[6] Officials confirmed that the bomb was hidden in the ambulance anddetonated at a secondpolice checkpoint.[7] Its blast also destroyed vehicles, shops, and buildings nearby.[8][9]
The attack occurred on a street, locally known asChicken Street, near a building run by the Interior Ministry. Various government agencies have offices there and the road had security checkpoints in place. The coordinator for the Italian aid group Emergency that operates a trauma center described the event as a "massacre". According to reports, the vehicle was stopped at a second security checkpoint after passing the primary one claiming they had a patient. When police attempted to stop the vehicle from going further, the driver detonated the bomb. Relatives were reported to be queuing at the citymorgue.[2] The scene of the attack was described as one of carnage with shattered bodies, many unidentifiable, lying all over.[10]
TheTaliban claimed responsibility for the attack.[2] The Afghan government described it as acrime against humanity, and accusedPakistan of providing support to the attackers. Pakistan denies supportingmilitants carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.[11]
The third major attack in Afghanistan within a week,PresidentAshraf Ghani again blamed Pakistan for failing to move against Talibanterrorists. Ghani vowed revenge against the Taliban in retaliation.[12] In addition, Ghani sent anAfghan intelligence delegation to Pakistan to hand over "undeniable" evidence that the terrorists of the bombing were planning the attack within Pakistan.[13] Peace prospects with the Taliban also took a downward turn following increasing outrage over the attacks, with a presidential spokesman saying that the Taliban "has lost the opportunity for peace talks".[14] The use of an ambulance to deliver the bomb was described as an act ofperfidy by theInternational Committee of the Red Cross.[15]
