dpa
Islamabad
At least three civilians were killed in an explosion in the Afghan capital Kabul, security officials said on Wednesday.
Another 13 people were wounded in the blast that happened inside a restaurant in police district 3 of the city, police spokesman Khalid Zadran said.
Zadran added that the Taliban security forces were investigating the incident to discover the explosion’s cause.
Initially, local sources claimed that the blast happened during lunchtime as the restaurant was occupied mostly by the employees of the country’s power utility company which is located near the blast site. Pro-Taliban media reported it was due to a gas cylinder leakage.
The electricity company is headed and controlled by Taliban officials.
Following the Taliban’s return to power last year, deadly bombings, often claimed by Islamic State, have become frequent. The targets are mostly religious minorities, as well as Taliban officials.
Earlier this month, an Islamic State suicide bomber detonated himself among a crowd of Afghans gathered in front of Russia’s Kabul embassy which is located near the site of today’s blast, killing six including two Russian diplomats. Several others were wounded.
The country remains isolated from the West due to the Taliban’s tough policies against women and their lack of focus on human rights .
