Car bomb rocks Kabul, Taliban claims responsibility

A powerful explosion occurred near the Kabul International Airport in the northern suburbs of Afghan capital Kabul Wednesday morning, causing no loss of life, police said. "An explosive-borne car apparently was detonated by remote control to target a convoy of foreign forces near the Kabul airport at around 08:00 a.m. local time but fortunately hurt no one," an official with Public Relation Department of Kabul Police told Xinhua. The official, who declined to be named, avoided providing more details, saying investigation is underway. The venue where the blast took place is often used by the NATO- led International Security Assistance Force. However, the alliance has yet to make comment. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry in a statement released here emphasized that no one was hurt in the blast. On the other hand, Taliban militants fighting the government and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan have claimed of responsibility for the attack. Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in talks with the media via telephone from unknown location, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying a Taliban suicide bomber named Mahmoud driving an explosive-laden car blew himself up against a convoy of German troops, killing and injuring 10 soldiers, a claim utterly rejected by police as mere propaganda. The blast in Kabul took place just a day after Afghanistan's National Directorate for Security or the country's spy agency reported the arrest of 22 militants while foiling several terrorist attacks in Kabul over the past two weeks.