A wave of renewed militant violence hits Afghan capital

The huge blast during the morning rush hour caused panic in much of central Kabul, shattering windows as far as a mile away. Nearly two hours after the explosion near Zanbaq Square, a crowded area in the capital that leads to the presidential palace as well as major foreign embassies, plumes of smoke were still rising from the scene.

At a time when the United States is weighing sending more troops to Afghanistan to try to halt the government's losses, the attack on Wednesday highlighted the continued ability of militants to strike even in the most secure parts of the capital.

President Ashraf Ghani called the attack "a crime against humanity." A statement by Gen. John W Nicholson Jr, the commander of American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Afghanistan, applauded the Afghan security forces for preventing the truck full of explosives from entering the Green Zone, a reference to the area that houses the headquarters of the coalition forces as well as several

foreign embassies. "The attack demonstrates a complete disregard for civilians and reveals the barbaric nature of the enemy faced by the Afghan people," the statement said. Pakistan condemned the "terrorist attack in Kabul this (Wednesday) morning that has caused loss of precious human lives and injuries to many". The victims appear mainly to have been Afghan civilians, but German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel did say that employees of the German Embassy were wounded in the attack, and that one Afghan security guard was killed.

Germany denounced the horrific suicide bombing near its embassy in Kabul that killed dozens of people including an Afghan security officer employed in the mission. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel called the attack shocking. "I condemn the attack ... in the strongest possible terms.

"The attack was carried out in the immediate vicinity of the German Embassy. It hit civilians and it hit those who are in Afghanistan to work with the people there on a better future for the country. It is particularly despicable that these people were targetted."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the terror attack in Kabul: "We strongly condemn the terrorist blast in Kabul. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased and prayers with the injured. India stands with Afghanistan in fighting all types of terrorism. Forces supporting terrorism need to be defeated." Canada also strongly condemned the bombing in Kabul. "Our thoughts are with the Afghan people and the victims of this heinous terrorist attack," Prime Minister Justin

Trudeau tweeted.