Taliban claim 1st major bombing in Kabul after Doha deal

The Taliban on Wednesday took responsibility for last evening's deadly car bombing aimed at the Afghan Defense Minister Bismillah Mohammadi in the capital Kabul.

This has been the first major assault claimed by the group in clear violation of the February 2020 Doha agreement with the US that prohibited such attacks in major cities.

Initially, there was no claim of responsibility for this late evening attack on Tuesday, which left eight people killed and at least 20 more injured, according to the Interior Ministry.

The advancing Taliban insurgents took to Twitter in the morning to claim credit for the attack in the heart of capital Kabul. "The attack was carried out by several 'brave Mujahideen' of the Islamic Emirate's (Taliban) 'Martyrdom Brigade', armed with light and heavy weapons, as well as using a car bomb," it said, claiming an important meeting was going on at the office of the defense minister during the attack.

"According to reports, the 'enemy' suffered heavy casualties in the attack," tweeted the Taliban. It further warned this attack is the beginning of retaliatory operations against key figures and leaders of the "Kabul administration" (the Afghan government).

"The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) will no longer remain indifferent to the 'crimes of the occupier and the domestic enemy' and will stand against it with all its might," warned the insurgents.

On Tuesday evening, a strong explosion followed by gunfire took place near Mohammadi's residence in the capital Kabul not far from the heavily fortified Green Zone. Witnesses told Anadolu Agency that the blast appeared to be caused by a car bomb in the Sherpur neighborhood.

Mohammadi took to Twitter saying he was well. "Do not worry, everything is fine," he wrote in his native Dari language.

Minutes after the terrifying blast, scores of generally young Afghans came out in large numbers on streets to chant "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) to express support for the security forces in defiance of the Taliban and undeterred by the deadly car bombing.

Earlier this week, charging the Taliban for being not sincere for peace, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani told an extraordinary joint session of the parliament that a new security plan backed by the US and international community would bring the Taliban to their knees in six months.

After overrunning nearly 200 rural districts, the Taliban began assaults on major cities on Friday as they marched on the Herat city next to Iran, causing panic and anxiety in this third biggest city of an estimated half a million inhabitants.