Dozens killed, injured in Kabul suicide car bombing

July 24 (UPI) -- A suicide car bombing in Afghanistan's capital early Monday killed at least two dozen people and injured many more, the country's defense ministry announced.

The car exploded as a bus carrying employees of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mines passed in Dehbori, a district of Kabul generally regarded as safe, police spokesman Basir Mojahed said.

The bomb exploded near the residence of Mohamed Mohaqeq, deputy to Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.

The Taliban took responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted two buses carrying employees of Afghanistan's intelligence agency to work. The statement from the Taliban put the death count at 37 people.

The attack follows a May bombing in Kabul's diplomatic Green Zone that killed more than 150 people, which prompted government promises to reform security in the city.

In June, another seven people died and 119 were injured in a suicide bombing at the funeral of an Afghan senator's son, who was killed during anti-government protests. The Taliban denied involvement in that attack.

A recent United Nations report said civilian casualties in the first six months of 2017 increased to 1,662 deaths and 3,581 injuries in Afghanistan, a record number and a 2 percent increase over the same period last year.