Dozens dead after Kabul bomb attack

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN)At least 24 people have been killed in a car bomb attack in Kabul on Monday morning, according to an Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman. At least 42 others were injured in the blast.

The blast occurred around 6:40 a.m. local time (10:10 pm ET), when a Toyota Corolla exploded in the city's Police District 3, Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish told CNN.

The blast happened early Monday morning.

In a statement to local journalists, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group was targeting a bus carrying Afghan intelligence staff, the statement, released by Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said. It was not clear if the targeted individuals were the victims of the attack.

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Police District 3

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Afghanistan's Chief Executive, Abdullah Abdullah, "strongly condemned" the attack.

"I strongly condemn the terrorist attack on civil servants in Kabul today," a tweet from him reads. "Our security institutes will hold perpetrators accountable."

President Ashraf Ghani's office also released a statement condemning the Taliban's attack.

"The enemy of Afghanistan can't face our forces in battle field so they target innocent civilians," it said.

Afghan men rest in a hospital after being injured in a car bomb attack in Kabul on July 24, 2017.

The bombing is the latest in a long line of attacks in the Afghan capital. Last month seven people died when suicide bombers struck the funeral of the son of a senator killed during anti-government protests.

The Taliban denied involvement in that attack, which injured 119 people.

CNN's Ehsan Popalzai reported from Kabul, Chieu Luu reported from Hong Kong. Euan McKirdy wrote and reported from Hong Kong

News Courtesy: www.cnn.com