Magnetic bomb blast targets minority Shia area of Afghan capital

A "magnetic bomb" attached to a minivan exploded on Saturday in a predominantly Shia area of Afghanistan's capital Kabul, reports have said.

According to a Taliban official who spoke to Reuters but declined to be named, six people were killed and at least seven were wounded. An official count has not been announced and no-one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The explosion took place in the Dashte Barchi area of western Kabul and is the latest in a series of attacks across Afghanistan in recent weeks.

Dashte Barchi has a large Shia Muslim ethnic Hazara population, which has been repeatedly targeted by Islamic State militants.

In a tweet, Zabihullah Mujahid, the name of the Taliban's official spokesperson's account, said a fire had broken out in the district killing at least one civilian and injuring two others.

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An investigation was under way, he added.

A bomb attack on a school in the district took place earlier this year, before the coalition withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban's subsequent takeover.

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At least 55 people were killed in that attack, most of them believed to be female students aged between 11 and 15, and at least 150 others were injured.

The then Afghan government blamed the Taliban, but Mr Mujahid denied involvement at the time and in turn blamed Islamic State.

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Saturday's blast hits a country where millions are at risk of starvation this winter as drought and a crumbling economy leave the state in peril.

The UN fears the crisis will only get worse without drastic action, as weather patterns suggest a further drought in the main wheat producing regions of Afghanistan is likely this winter.

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