Taliban claims responsibility after car bomb kills 95 in Kabul

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for a car bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday that killed 95 people and injured at least 158 others.

The bombing took place on a busy city street home to several old government buildings, where passerby line up for hours to access government services, The New York Times reports.

A spokesman for Kabul police said the suspected bomber drove past a security checkpoint before being stopped at a second checkpoint. After attempting initially to bypass the second checkpoint, the bomber detonated his weapon.

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“Police stopped the vehicle at the second checkpoint,” Baseer Mujahid told the Times. “Then he tried to drive in from the wrong lane. Again, the police tried to stop him. But he detonated the explosive-laden vehicle.”

The bombing comes just days after the country was rocked by another terrorist attack when militants stormed a popular international hotel in Kabul, killing 22 people, including four Americans.

The U.S. on Saturday condemned the latest bombing.

“We condemn today’s cowardly bombing in Kabul and those who perpetrated it. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we stand with the brave people of #Afghanistan,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert wrote on Twitter.

The Trump administration is currently deciding whether to increase the amount of U.S. troops in Afghanistan amid new security threats. The total number of U.S. troops in the country has risen under President Trump from 8,500 to 14,000.

Updated: 9:55 a.m.