Two killed, three injured in Kabul after car bomb blast on US withdrawal anniversary

Two people were killed while three others were injured in a car blast at the Police District 17 of Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Wednesday, according to interior ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor. 

“A Toyota Corolla car, carrying an explosive device, exploded in Police District 17 today afternoon, killing two countrymen and injuring three others,” Nafi posted on his Twitter account. 

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The blast happened just days after the first anniversary of the United States military leaving Afghanistan. According to reports by the Xinhua news agency, the authorities have launched an investigation into the blast and although no more information was provided, it said that security personnel rushed to the area. 

The blast dampened the celebrations in Afghanistan as the Taliban regime marked one year of them gaining control of the country once again. With the US forces leaving the country, the Taliban took over and formed a new government in the country plagued by natural disasters and economic crises.

Earlier, Taliban defence minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid said that Pakistan is helping the US by giving them access to their airspace to launch drone attacks in Afghanistan. 

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"They [the US aircraft] are using Pakistani airspace to reach us. We demand Pakistan not to allow the use of its airspace against us," he said, according to Reuters. 

The Taliban further claimed that the radar system of the country was destroyed when the US forces left but intelligence sources have identified a number of US drones in the area. He criticised both Pakistan and US for the attacks and called it a “clear violation" of sovereignty”. 

(With inputs from agencies)