Taliban bomber hits court minibus in Kabul, killing 10

Afghanistan security forces inspect at the site of a suicide attack in west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. A suicide bomber targeted a vehicle carrying court employees in Kabul during morning rush hour on Wednesday, killing several people, an Afghan official said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini) Afghanistan security forces inspect at the site of a suicide attack in west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. A suicide bomber targeted a vehicle carrying court employees in Kabul during morning rush hour on Wednesday, killing several people, an Afghan official said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)

By Associated Press May 25, 2016 2 min read

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – A suicide bomber targeted a minibus carrying court employees in Kabul during morning rush hour Wednesday, killing 10 people, an Afghan official said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

The bomber, who was on foot, detonated his explosives’ vest as he walked by the vehicle in the western part of the city, said Najib Danish, the Interior Ministry’s deputy spokesman.

The attack came as the Taliban named a new leader following the death of their former leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan on Saturday.

The casualties in Wednesday’s bombing included both court workers and civilians and the explosion also wounded four people, Danish said. The minibus belonged to the judiciary department in neighboring Maidan Wardak province and was taking the workers there when it came under attack, he added.

Within an hour of the assault, the Taliban, who often target government employees in their war against the state, claimed responsibility for the bombing. The claim came from Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, in an email sent to the media.