Sixty-three people were killed and 151 others injured in a deadly attack in which an assailant detonated explosives at a police checkpoint in Kabul, Afghanistan today. The attacker used an ambulance to bypass a police checkpoint, and then detonated the explosives at another one, Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
John Bass, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan issued a statement condemning the violence. “My government and I stand with the brave people of Afghanistan. Their work to create a peaceful, prosperous future for all the citizens of this country is the best response to terrorists and others who know only violence,” he said.
The assailant used the ambulance to get through the security checkpoint, telling police he was transporting a patient to a hospital that was close by.
The attack comes a week after a deadly siege at Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel in which gunmen stormed the hotel looking for foreigners as well as U.S. forces. The assault resulted in a thirteen-hour gun battle between assailants and security forces. Twenty-two people were killed including four Americans. The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack.