At least 11 Afghan guards working for the US embassy in Kabul were among those killed in a massive truck bomb attack Wednesday and 11 American contractors were hurt, officials said.
The US citizens’ wounds are not thought to be life threatening, a senior administration source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity while the final toll is verified.
In all, at least 90 people were killed and hundreds more wounded when a truck rigged with explosives detonated in the Afghan capital’s diplomatic quarter.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed and injured, including our Afghan partners, members of the diplomatic and international communities, and many innocent Afghan citizens,” US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement.
“We pray for a speedy recovery to the American and Afghan members of our mission staff and others who were injured in this attack, and we praise the Afghan Security Forces, police, and medical professionals who were the first responders to the scene.”
No group has claimed the blast, which officials said was caused by 1,500 kilograms (1.6 US tons) of explosives hidden inside a sewage tanker, but Afghan intelligence blamed the Haqqani Network, an extremist group allied to the Taliban and opposed to the US-backed government.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.