A Taliban suicide bomber rammed his explosives-packed vehicle into a Turkish Embassy convoy in the Afghan capital Thursday morning, killing at least two people.
A spokesman for Kabul police told VOA that a Turkish national was among those killed in the attack, which took place just outside the Turkish mission in central Kabul, not far from the Afghan presidential palace.
"The target was a Turkish Embassy vehicle," Deputy Interior Minister Ayub Salangi told reporters at the site of the blast.
The Taliban swiftly claimed responsibility but said it was targeting a convoy of U.S. troops.
"The purpose of today's attack in Kabul was a convoy of U.S. troops. The embassy or any other country['s] nationals were not [the] objective," a Taliban statement said.
The Turkish military said the attack was aimed at a car carrying the security team of Turkish envoy Ismail Aramaz.
Television footage showed two armored vehicles bearing Turkish diplomatic plates and a wounded person being carried from a car.
It was the first known insurgent attack on a Turkish target in Kabul and the second time a diplomatic mission's convoy had been attacked by Taliban militants in recent months. In November, a British Embassy car was attacked by a suicide bomber.
The violence came amid reports that peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban may soon open to seek an end to the conflict in Afghanistan. The insurgent group has yet to confirm claims it is willing to enter into the dialogue.
VOA Islamabad correspondent Ayesha Tanzeem contributed to this report.
