Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday that India is closely monitoring developments and is concerned about deteriorating security situation.
"Following a series of government forces air-and-ground operations, 111 Taliban fighters have been killed and 79 others wounded in Wardak, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Zabul, Badghis, Faryab, Nimruz, Helmand
No one took responsibility for the attack in the neighbourhood, which is largely populated by the minority Hazara ethnic group who are mostly Shiite Muslims.
In Faryab, 26 militants were killed and 33 wounded after the Afghan Air Force conducted airstrikes on a Taliban position in Sarchakan village of Gurziwan district, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.
The blasts came in the morning rush hour. The first explosion occurred roughly at 8:00 a.m. local time while the second blast came 15 minutes later, Kabul police spokesman Ferdaus Faramarz said.
The blast occurred at around 8.10 a.m. when the IED exploded and targeted a Corolla-model car in Chehel Sutoon area in PD7 of Kabul city, TOLO News reported.
The incident took place at about 7.50 a.m. after a sticky bomb attached to a Land Cruiser-type vehicle was detonated near Hotel-e-Parwan in Police District 15.
"Based on initial information, eight people were martyred, and 31 others were wounded," Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said, noting the final toll would change.
The journalist killed has been identified as Yama Siawash, who had worked with Tolo News. Kabul police said the explosion happened at around 7:30 am on Saturday morning. No group has so far taken responsibility for the attack.
Hamid Obaidi, a spokesman for the ministry of higher education, told AFP that gunfire erupted when government officials were expected to arrive for the opening of the book event.
Haand's new book "Three Centuries: History of Cricket in the World and the youngest country Afghanistan" was published recently in which he has detailed about Afghan cricket, its history, achievements and star players.
