This Article is From Feb 10, 2014

Blast in Afghan capital strikes near NATO convoy

Blast in Afghan capital strikes near NATO convoy

Afghan National Army forces leave the scene after an explosion hit a school yard in eastern Kabul on February 3.

Kabul: An explosion struck near a NATO convoy in the Afghan capital on Monday, drawing American troops to the scene, although the international coalition could not confirm whether it was the intended target of the attack.

No casualties were immediately reported but at least two civilian vehicles were damaged in the explosion in eastern Kabul.

A witness said the blast was a suicide attack on a convoy of foreign military vehicles.

Police and ambulances rushed to the scene near the Pul-i-Charkhi prison. Two civilian vehicles lay overturned and nearby shop windows were shattered from the force of the explosion.

A local shopkeeper named Jameel, who uses only one name, said he saw two NATO vehicles leaving the prison and a car slamming into the second one. He said he saw at least two wounded foreigners but he could not tell the extent of their injuries before they were evacuated.

Several American military personnel arrived at the scene, but the NATO-led coalition gave few details of what happened. "We are aware of reports of an explosion in eastern Afghanistan," the coalition said in a statement.

Taliban-affiliated militants have stepped up attacks in the final year of the international coalition's combat mission in Afghanistan, seeking to shake confidence in the Kabul government's ability to keep order.
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