Dozens dead, hundreds wounded in Kabul suicide bombing

Afghan security officials inspect the damage from a suicide bomb in Kabul — (Image credit: Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, central Kabul was rocked by a large explosion outside the headquarters of an elite Afghan security agency, similar to the U.S. Secret Service, killing at least 28 people and wounding more than 200 others. Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, says an explosives-filled vehicle was blown up outside the gates of the security agency and a group of gunmen then attacked the compound. The Taliban quickly claimed credit for the attack.

"One armed terrorist was shot and killed by security forces and the gun battle is still underway with an unknown number of other terrorists," Sediqqi said. A spokesman for the Kabul police said later that the fighting had ended, and the office of President Ashraf Ghani said the attack "clearly shows the enemy's defeat in face-to-face battle" with Afghan security forces. The Taliban announced its annual spring offensive last week. Al Jazeera calls the attack the biggest in the Afghan capital since 2001.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.