A suicide car bomber struck outside the Supreme Court in the Afghan capital today, killing at least 17 people and wounding 39 in the second consecutive day of militant attacks in the heart of Kabul.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying their fighter had taken down judges who obey Western powers.
President Hamid Karzai condemned the bombing, saying it was another “terrorist act that once again shows the Taliban are serving the enemies of Islam.”
The bombing was the deadliest attack in Kabul since December 6, 2011, when a suicide bomber on foot hit worshippers at a Shiite shrine, killing at least 80 people.
Tuesday’s explosion struck as court employees were leaving the building by the back entrance after the day’s work, mostly in buses or private cars, said police officer Jahn Agha.
Police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said the bomber drove an SUV and specifically targeted the buses with court workers.