Car bomb attack by Taliban renews fears among Afghans

KABUL, Afghanistan - A Taliban car bomb aimed at Afghan security forces ripped through a busy Kabul neighborhood on Wednesday, killing 14 people and wounding 145 - most of them women, children and other civilians - shortly after the extremist group and the United States reported progress on negotiating an end to Afghanistan's nearly 18-year war.

The bombing during morning rush hour was one of the worst attacks in Kabul this year, and it again raised fears among Afghans about what will happen once the estimated 20,000 US and NATO troops in their country go home.

The explosives-packed car detonated at a security checkpoint outside police headquarters in a minority Shiite neighborhood in western Kabul, police spokesman Firdaus Faramarz said. The Taliban said they had targeted a recruitment center for security forces.

Ninety-two of the wounded were civilians, Pakistani Deputy Interior Minister Khoshal Sadat told reporters. Four police officers were among those killed, he said.

The attack took place as many Kabul residents were preparing for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, which begins on Sunday. A large plume of smoke rose over the city. Some nearby buildings were left in rubble. Shopkeepers later swept up broken glass.

"I was having breakfast in a restaurant when the explosion happened," said Mohmmad Qasem. As windows shattered, he and others rushed into the busy street.

Even as the US-Taliban peace talks continue and the Taliban say they will do more to protect civilians, a growing number of them are being killed. July saw the highest number of civilian casualties in a single month since 2017, with more than 1,500 killed or wounded as insurgent attacks spiked, the United Nations said earlier this month.

'Barrier' to peace

Any Taliban attack is a barrier to the peace process, presidential spokesman Sediq Seddiqi told reporters, vowing that "Afghan security forces are strong and can protect the Afghan population".

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government said such attacks apparently are meant to strengthen the Taliban position at the negotiating table but would not succeed.

On Tuesday, the Taliban warned Afghans to boycott the Sept 28 presidential election and avoid campaign rallies which "could become potential targets". The vote already has been delayed for months over security and organizational concerns.

The Taliban have been staging near-daily attacks against Afghan forces across the country, saying the war will continue as long as US and NATO forces are still in Afghanistan.

The Taliban now control roughly half of the country and are at their strongest since 2001, when the US-led invasion toppled their government after it harbored al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

Another round of US-Taliban talks continues this week in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, where the insurgents maintain an office.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy tasked with finding a peaceful resolution to Washington's longest war, this week reported "excellent progress" in the talks. A Taliban official said differences had been resolved over the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and Taliban guarantees that they will cut ties with other extremist groups. The US wants to make sure that Afghanistan will not become a launchpad for attacks against it.

Agencies