Kabul twin blasts toll rises to 22

The death toll in the Kabul suicide bombings claimed by Taliban has risen to 22 while 120 people have sustained injuries, a media report said on Thursday.

The two suicide attacks took place on Wednesday, targeting a police station and intelligence agency offices. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attacks, reported Tolo News.

Condemning the bombings, President Ashraf Ghani said: "After the killing of (prominent commander) Mullah Salam and the Taliban's defeat on many other fronts, the terrorists are launching such attacks to raise the morale of their fighters."

The first of attacks began when a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives outside a police station - next door to a military training facility - in the west of the city.

This was followed by a six-hour gun battle between officers and another attacker.

Soon afterwards, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside Afghanistan's intelligence agency -- National Directorate of Security (NDS) office -- in eastern Kabul.

All the victims in the second strike were NDS employees, officials said.

The UN Security Council condemned the attacks.

"The members of the Security Council reiterated their serious concern at the threats posed by the Taliban, Al Qaeda, Islamic State and armed groups to the local population, National Defence and Security Forces and the international presence in Afghanistan," the UN Security Council said in a statement.

The attacks came a day after the Taliban killed 12 policemen in an "insider attack" in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.

--IANS

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