A suicide bomber detonated explosives near the heavily barricaded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters in Kabul on Saturday, killing six civilians, NATO and local officials said.
The bomber, who was riding an explosives-laden motorcycle, blew himself up near the entrance of Camp Eggers, a NATO spokeswoman said, referring to a sprawling base that is home to 2,500 coalition personnel who train Afghan security forces.
The blast was the latest example of how militants are able to strike the heart of the Afghan capital even after more than a decade of fighting Western forces with far superior firepower.
It also raises questions about Afghan forces’ ability to combat insurgents once most foreign troops leave by the end of 2014.
Pieces of flesh and splattered blood lay on the street near the base, where small bodies were seen being lifted into ambulances, witnesses said.
Young children were among the dead, said Ministry of Interior spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.
The Taliban took responsibility for the attack, saying they had dispatched a bomber to target the Kabul offices of the United State Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
“One of our mujahideen targeted an important intelligence office used for recruiting Americans and Afghans for spying,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters.
Sediqqi speculated on his Twitter feed that Saturday’s attack, just before noon, may have been carried out by the Haqqanis, the most experienced insurgents in Afghanistan.
