Blast targets UN vehicle in Afghanistan, kills one foreigner

A United Nations vehicle was targeted in a bombing Sunday in the Afghan capital Kabul and initial reports indicated at least one foreign citizen was killed, an Afghan official said.

Nasrat Rahimi, Interior Ministry spokesman, said five others, including two Afghan UN workers, were wounded in the attack. The vehicle was heavily damaged.

The blast targeted the vehicle on one of the busiest roads in the city, in police district 9, according to Rahimi.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both Taliban and Daesh are active in the capital and have repeatedly claimed previous attacks.

The Taliban control or hold sway over about half of Afghanistan, staging near-daily attacks that target Afghan forces and government officials across the country.

In central Daykundi Province, at least eight soldiers were killed when Taliban fighters stormed their checkpoint, said provincial Gov. Anwar Rahmati. He said four other soldiers were wounded in the hours-long gun battle.

Rahmati said reinforcements were dispatched early on Sunday to the area in Kajran district, driving off the insurgents, killing at least 20 of them.

Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the checkpoint attack. He disputed the Taliban casualty figures provided by the governor and said the insurgents had seized weapons and ammunition.