KABUL: An explosion in the the Afghan capital near Pul-i- Charkhi prison damaged at least two vehicles on Monday.
An Afghan militant group Hezb-e-Islami claimed credit for the heavy blast near the prison that houses prominent insurgents and other detainees.
There was no immediate word on casualties.
Haroon Zarghun, a spokesman for Hezb-e-Islami, claimed credit for the apparent suicide attack, saying it was carried out by a “martyrdom seeker” named Hakimullah who targeted a U.S. convoy, according to Wall Street Journal.
Eyewitnesses said the blast occurred around 2:30 p.m. amid heavy security in the capital.
Afghanistan is bracing for presidential elections in April and insurgents have targeted Kabul several times in recent weeks with suicide attacks.
It must be remembered that Hezb-e-Islami, founded by anti-U.S. warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, is aligned with the Taliban in an insurgency against the Afghan central government. But a legal wing of the group also operates in Afghanistan, and one of the 11 presidential candidates, Qutbuddin Hilal, is a Hezb-e-Islami member.
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