KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) – The studio and newsrooms of television station 1TV sustained damage after a bomb hidden in a sewage tanker exploded in the morning rush hour in the center of Kabul on Wednesday (May 31), killing at least 80 people and wounding hundreds more in the Afghan capital’s unofficial “Green Zone.”
Staff removed ceiling boards which had fallen off and shattered glass and doors which had been blown off due to the impact of the explosion which took place just outside the station, killing at least 90 and wounding hundreds more.
No group had claimed responsibility by Wednesday evening but Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency, the National Directorate for Security, said it had been carried out by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network with assistance from Pakistan.
Both Pakistan and Afghanistan regularly accuse each other of supporting militant groups operating across the border.
The Taliban, seeking to reimpose Islamic rule after their 2001 ouster by United States-led forces, denied responsibility and said they condemned attacks that have no legitimate target and killed civilians.