Security forces also rescued 210 civilians from buildings nearby
\nnews desk
\nkabul
\nAt least 34 people have been confirmed dead and 68 injured persons have been taken to hospitals after a powerful blast rocked Kabul in the morning rush hour on Monday when the Taliban detonated a powerful car bomb in an area of Kabul housing military and government buildings, officials said.
\nThe rush-hour blast, which sent a plume of smoke into the air and shook buildings nearly two kilometres (1.2 miles) away, was followed by gunmen storming a building and triggering a gun battle with special forces in the Puli Mahmood Khan neighbourhood of the Afghan capital.
\nThe health ministry said at least 34 person had been killed and 68 wounded.
\nAmong them were 50 children, the education ministry said in a statement, adding that most had been hurt by flying glass and were in stable condition.
\nSome social media images purportedly taken at a hospital showed wounded, stunned children in school uniforms, still clutching books as they arrived for treatment.
\nIn its statement, the education ministry said five schools had been partially damaged, and asked \u201call sides involved in fighting to guarantee the safety of students, teachers, education workers and schools\u201d.
\nThe Taliban claimed the attack, which came just two days after the insurgents began a seventh round of talks with the US in Qatar as Washington eyes a breakthrough before Afghanistan\u2019s September presidential election.
\nMilitant spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the insurgents had targeted a defence ministry building in the area, which was quickly blocked off by Afghan forces and ambulances, with helicopter gunships seen overhead as gunfire continued.
\nAuthorities have not confirmed the target, but Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the area had been cordoned off by special forces who were \u201cbringing down\u201d the attackers, with at least two killed.
\n\u201cSecurity forces also rescued 210 civilians from buildings nearby,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Security forces also rescued 210 civilians from buildings nearby news desk kabul At least 34 people have been confirmed dead and 68 injured persons have been taken to hospitals after a powerful blast rocked Kabul in the morning rush hour on Monday when the Taliban detonated a powerful car bomb in an area of Kabul […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n