NEW YORK, New York – A suicide bomber struck in the early afternoon at a supermarket in the center of Kabul, Afghanistan, today, killing at least 8 civilians, including a child and 3 western women. The supermarket is located in the Wazir Akbar Khan district of the Afghan capital, near several Western embassies.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned the attack and notes that the bombing comes on the heels of a number of attacks on Afghan civilians across the country in the first weeks of the year.
There can be no credible claim that this or other attacks involve legitimate targets, UNAMA stated.
Last month, Staffan de Mistura, the Secretary-Generalโs Special Representative and head of UNAMA, warned that in the face of increased successes by international forces and the national army in Afghanistan, the Taliban may attempt spectacular attacks in the coming weeks.
โOur sentiment is: before it gets better it may get worse,โ he said in a briefing to the Security Council. โWe should be ready, Iโm afraid, for the next few months for some tense security environment.โ