At least 5 killed, 2 injured as series of sticky bomb explosions rock Kabul

Kabul, Feb 20 (efe-epa).- At least five people, including two members of the security forces, were killed and two people were injured on Saturday in three back-to-back sticky bomb explosions in the Afghan capital, officials told EFE.

The attacks took place in three different areas of Kabul within a two-hour period, Kabul police spokesperson Firdaws Faramarz told EFE.

The first explosion targeted a private car around 8 am, injuring two civilians in the District 4 of the city.

Barely 15 minutes later, a second blast nearby killed three other people, including a woman, traveling in a car

In the third incident, two members of the security forces were killed in an explosion in their car around 10.20 am in the District 3.

“These blasts are under investigation by the related security organs for (obtaining) further details,” Faramarz said, without providing further details.

Afghanistan has for months been witnessing a series of unprecedented targeted attacks on journalists, activists, politicians and intellectuals in the country, where shootings or bombings against victims’ vehicles have become an almost daily reality.

Although the government has directly blamed the Taliban for the killings, the insurgent group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks, and has in turn blamed Afghan security forces for carrying them out to fabricate negative propaganda against them.

Such attacks have increased significantly after the Taliban began peace negotiations with the Afghan government in Qatar in September.

During five months of talks the two sides have only agreed on rules and procedures of the talks without reaching a consensus on a ceasefire or a significant reduction in violence. Moreover, the two delegations have not met face to face for a month now. EFE-EPA

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