Kabul blast death toll rises to 80, hundreds wounded

The Afghan Taliban denied responsibility for a vehicle bomb attack in Kabul on Wednesday (May 31) as authorities started clearing the blast site where at least 80 people were killed and more than 350 wounded.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement the movement’s fighters had no involvement and said the movement condemned any such untargeted attacks that caused civilian casualties

The explosion, one of the deadliest in Kabul and coming at the start of the holy month of Ramadan, occurred during the morning rush hour in the city centre, near the presidential palace and foreign embassies.

The victims appear mainly to have been Afghan civilians.