The explosion reportedly shattered a number of windows in the neighbourhood.
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According to the Times, Afghan government officials initially said only that the attack, which targeted Le Jardin restaurant, was under investigation.
Violence has been rising as the U.S.-led worldwide military coalition in Afghanistan has scaled down and focused more on training and advising the Afghan security forces. Police had detained one suspect and were preparing to conduct a sweep of the restaurant, Sediqqi said. It is unclear whether there were other attackers who escaped or died in the blast.
The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying that westerners were the main target.
Injuries… An injured man speaks on a mobile phone after a suicide vehicle bomb attack near the Kabul airport in Kabul, opn Monday.
There are reports suggesting a restaurant popular with foreigners could be targeted in the explosion.
The insurgent movement says it is not interested in new talks so long as foreign troops remain in Afghanistan.
Gen. Sharif’s visit to Kabul follows talks between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over recent weeks that sought to pave the way for a Islamabad-brokered peace process.
The incident came about two years after a high-profile suicide attack on a Lebanese restaurant in the city killed 21 people, including 13 foreigners, four of whom were United Nations staff members.
In the wake of that and other attacks, many restaurants closed. “If Le Jardin’s owner was here I would grab him by his collar and demand an answer”.
“Police have cordoned off the area”, the spokesman added”.
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The powerful explosion shook the Qala-e Fatullah neighborhood and sprayed debris for the length of a football field.
