At least 10 people have been killed in a roadside bomb attack in the Afgan capital Kabul that targeted the first vice president Amrullah Saleh.
Saleh, a former head of the Afgan intelligence services, escaped with slight burns on his face and hand.
The bombing came as Afgan officials and the Taliban prepared to start their first formal talks.
In a tweet, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the militant group was not responsible for the blast. Footage filmed shortly after the explosion showed a large plume of black smoke rising from the scene.
Tareq Arain, Afganistan’s interior ministry spokesperson, said the roadside bomb targeted Saleh’s convoy as the official travelled to work. Arain said 10civilians who worked in the area were killed and 15 people, including one of Saleh’s bodyguards, were wounded.
A witness said he was driving past the location on the way to a clinic when the bomb detonated.
“I lost one of my brothers, and the other one is hurt,” the man told the Reuters news agency soon after the blast. “What kind of government is this? There’s no ambulance, and even the police haven’t arrived yet.”
