Dozens Killed, Hundreds Injured By Car Bomb Near Indian Embassy In Kabul  

A huge explosion caused by a car bomb has hit the Afghan capital Kabul, close to foreign embassies and the presidential palace on Wednesday morning.

The latest figures from the Afghan health ministry say at least 65 people have been killed and about 320 injured in the blast.

As the explosion took place close to the Indian Embassy, few Indian officials had suffered minor injuries.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, however, tweeted that all Indian officials were safe.

The bomb went off 50 meters from the Indian mission. All staff members have been moved to strong rooms, sources added.

A huge plume of smoke could be seen rising from the area but it was not clear what the target was. Sources told CNN-News18 that Indian intelligence agencies had not ruled out the possibility of the Indian mission being the target.

Window panes of the embassy building shattered by the impact of the blast which was reported from near the German Gate.

The German Gate is the entry point to the road in the diplomatic area which houses missions of several countries, the closes being the German Embassy.

Houses hundreds of metres away from the explosion were damaged with windows and doors blown off their hinges. The blast was loud enough to wake some residents. Reports from journalists inside Kabul said the explosion shook their houses and shattered windows.

Images posted on social media showed a huge plume of smoke in the sky.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack came as the resurgent Taliban are stepping up their annual “spring offensive”.

The Islamic State group has also claimed responsibility for several recent bombings in the Afghan capital, including a powerful blast targeting an armoured Nato convoy that killed at least eight people and wounded 28 on 3 May.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis has warned of “another tough year” for both foreign troops and local forces in Afghanistan, where more than one third of the country is outside of government control.

The blast was the latest in a long line of attacks in the Afghan capital. Kabul province had the highest number of casualties in the first three months of 2017 thanks to multiple attacks in the city, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.

Please check back for updates ...