Bomb blast damages UN compound near Afghan palace
AFP, Kabul
A bomb blast destroyed the wall of a United Nations compound close to the presidential palace in Kabul early yesterday but there were no casualties, the Afghan security service and international peacekeepers said. "A bomb exploded at around 4:50 am (0020 GMT) this morning," intelligence officer Tajuddin told AFP from the site. "It did not cause any casualties but destroyed the wall of a UN compound in first street, Shashdarak district," said Tajuddin. Windows were also shattered in the explosion. The bomb had been placed near the wall of the compound, which is close to the presidential palace and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters in central Kabul. "We don't know yet who planted it," Tajuddin said. ISAF also said there were no casualties in the explosion which occurred in a residential street 500 metres (yards) from its headquarters. "No casualties have been reported and ISAF troops are on the scene investigating," the international peacekeeping force said in a statement. "Neither the CLJ site, government buildings nor ISAF installations were affected," it said, referring to the site of the constitutional loya jirga ("grand assembly") in west Kabul.
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