At least 8 killed in back to back explosions in Kabul

Afghanestan Ministry of Public Health said that three consecutive blasts in Kabul city left 8 people dead.

Iran Press/Asia: At least eight people were killed and 27 wounded by three blasts that rocked the Afghan capital on Thursday ahead of the election season.

The bombings came amid a wider surge in violence in Kabul and around Afghanistan, where the war is taking a brutal toll even amid a US-led push for a peace deal with the Taliban, according to Khamma Press.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, which came just three days before the official campaign season for the September 28 presidential election gets underway.

Previous polls have been marred by violence and bloodshed by the Taliban and other insurgent groups who refuse to recognize Afghanistan's fragile democracy.

According to interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi, the first blast came around 8:10 am (0340 GMT) when a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle hit a bus in eastern Kabul. He said the bus belonged to the ministry of mines and petroleum.

Rahimi said two other blasts had occurred, including a car bomb, also in eastern Kabul.

Rahimi put the death toll at seven with another 21 wounded. It was not immediately clear if this was from all the blasts or just the first.

Health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar gave the same toll.

The US has also stepped up its air campaign against the Taliban this year, and all sides claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on each other.

The US and its allies invaded Afghanistan under the guise of the war on terror in 2001. While the invasion ended the Taliban's rule in the country, it has failed to eliminate the militant group. 

Civilians continue to pay a heavy price in Afghanistan's raging conflict, with last year the deadliest on record for civilians.

According to the UN, 3,804 civilians have died in the war in 2018, including 927 children. 104/208

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