The Latest: Afghan officials say Kabul attack killed 14
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Latest on the explosion in the Afghan capital of Kabul (all times local):
3:30 p.m.
Afghan officials say 14 people were killed and 145 others were wounded in a Taliban suicide car bombing outside a police station in Kabul earlier in the day.
Deputy Interior Minister Khoshal Sadat told reporters that 92 of the wounded are civilians.
The Taliban said they had targeted a recruitment center for security forces.
Wednesday morning's shattering explosion occurred a day after a United States envoy and the Taliban reported progress in their talks on negotiating an end to the nearly 18-year war in Afghanistan.
Even as those talks continue, a growing number of civilians are being killed in Afghanistan. The United Nations has said July saw the highest number of civilian casualties in a single month since 2017, with more than 1,500 killed or wounded as insurgent attacks spiked.
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9:40 a.m.
Police say a huge explosion has gone off in the western part of Afghanistan's capital.
Spokesman Firdaus Faramarz told The Associated Press that there are no immediate details on any casualties or the nature of the explosion in Kabul on Wednesday.
Local media are showing footage of a large plume of smoke rising above that part of the city, which is home to many of the minority Hazara community.
Meanwhile, a security official confirms that an hours-long clearance operation is underway in eastern Kabul against insurgents on Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with reporters.
