Afghans mourning after truck bombing

KABUL – The Associated Press

Afghans mourned the loss of family members, friends and colleagues yesterday, a day after a massive truck bomb exploded in the capital, leaving at least 90 people dead and more than 450 others wounded in one of the worst extremist attacks since the drawdown of foreign forces from Afghanistan in 2014.

The city’s acting mayor said the explosion damaged property as far as 4 kilometers away from the blast site and scores of people waited in hospitals to learn the status of family and friends wounded in the attack. Funeral processions took place throughout Kabul yesterday.

The bomber drove into Kabul’s heavily guarded diplomatic quarter during the morning rush, leaving behind chaos and destruction. Most of the casualties were civilians, including women and children, but the dead also included Afghan security guards.

The blast gouged a crater about 5 meters deep near Zanbaq Square in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, where foreign embassies are protected by their own security personnel as well as Afghan police and National Security Forces. The nearby German Embassy was heavily damaged.

Also in the area is Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, the Presidential Palace and its intelligence and security headquarters, guarded by soldiers trained by the U.S. and its coalition partners.

Hundreds gathered in a Kabul cemetery for the funeral of Zemarai Khan, a security guard who lost his life in the attack.

Jan Mohammad, Zamarai’s brother, said Zemarai died alongside nine of his fellow guards who worked for a private security company.

Meanwhile, some people were still missing and families were searching for news about loved ones in local hospitals.