Taliban Claims Bombing Plot Outside Turkish Embassy

* Photo credit: Haroon Sabawoon / AA

A suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives targeted a Turkish Embassy vehicle near the Iranian Embassy in the Afghan capital this morning, leaving one Turkish soldier dead. The Taliban claimed responsibility swiftly after the incident. 

Turkish Armed Forces released a statement that confirmed the incident around 5:45am (GMT+2) and the death of one soldier. The statement also cited that another soldier was wounded. 

Turkish Foreign Ministry also informed that the Turkish Ambassador was safe. 

Taliban claimed

The Taliban claimed responsibility but appeared to have mistaken the Turkish security team for a U.S. convoy, clarifying on Twitter that they had not intended to kill any other country's citizens.

"The purpose of today's attack in Kabul was a convoy of U.S. troops. The embassy or any other country nationals were not objective," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted.

Mujahid also spoke to Turkey’s Anatolia Agency, saying that they only aimed the vehicle in the American convoy. 

“If there were vehicle that belonged to Turks at the time of the incident, they were hurt by mistake. We don’t have hostility towards Turks,” he said.

Afghanistan: Turkey was on the target

Officials from Turkish Foreign Ministry told CNNTürk that the incident took place outside Iran Embassy. 

“A car parked on the road blasted as security vehicle headed to receive the Ambassador,” the official said.

"The target was a Turkish Embassy vehicle. One person is wounded and the driver possibly killed," Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayub Salangi told media outside the Iranian Embassy.

The explosion struck in the heart of the heavily fortified capital Kabul, close to the German, Iranian and Turkish embassies, rattling windows and putting embassy staff on high alert. (AS/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.