At least 8 dead from Taliban car bomb that targeted Afghan defense minister

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- At least eight people have been killed in new fighting in Afghanistan that's been stirred by a resurgent Taliban motivated by the withdrawal of U.S. forces, officials said Wednesday.

The militant group has claimed responsibility for the fighting, including the car bomb in Kabul that also injured at least 20 people.

Officials said the car bomb targeted Afghanistan's acting defense minister at his home in Kabul. He was not hurt.

The Afghan defense ministry said acting chief Gen. Bismillah Mohammadi and his family weren't at home at the time of the attack.

TOLO News reported that two attackers entered a building near the office of lawmaker Azim Mohseni after the attack. Mohseni said he wasn't in his office at the time.

U.S. forces have been conducting a gradual withdrawal from Afghanistan for months and Pentagon officials say the pullout will be complete by the end of August.

American forces have had a constant presence in the Middle Eastern nation since immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden both took actions to withdraw all American troops from the country.