Kabul truck attack toll rises to 150, says President

The deaths in last week's truck bombing in Kabul have climbed to 150, making the attack deadliest since 2001, President Ashraf Ghani said on Tuesday.

Ghani said over 300 persons were also injured in the bombing last Wednesday when a truck packed with explosives blew up at an entrance to a fortified area of the city that includes foreign embassies and government buildings.

"We were not the only targets, the entire diplomatic community was the target of this attack," Ghani told foreign diplomats gathered an international peace conference in Kabul.

Over 20 countries and international organisations, including the US, Russia, China, the United Nations, NATO and the EU were participating in the conference titled "Kabul Process" that kicked off on Tuesday, Efe news reported.

 

Although, the Islamic State claimed the attack, Afghan intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) blamed the Taliban-allied Haqqani network for the bombing.

The agency also accused Pakistan's spy agency ISI of helping the terror group plan the attack, a charge Islamabad has denied.

Official estimates had earlier put the toll at 90 with over 460 persons injured in the attack.

--IANS

soni/vt