Kabul blast: Magnetic IED goes off; first blast after Afghan peace talks scrapped

At least 3 people have been injured due to a magnetic IED blast near Shaheed Square in Afghanistan capital Kabul on Monday. This was the first blast in the city after Afghan peace talks were abruptly scrapped by the United States.

The rebel group had warned the US on Sunday that more American lives will be lost after President Donald Trump abruptly called off the peace talks. Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, criticized Trump for calling off the dialogue and said U.S. forces have been pounding Afghanistan with attacks at the same time. "This will lead to more losses to the U.S.," he said. "Its credibility will be affected, its anti-peace stance will be exposed to the world, losses to lives and assets will increase."

Three people were wounded in a magnetic IED blast near Shaheed Square in Kabul’s PD4 today, said Kabul police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz: TOLO news #Afghanistan

— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2019

U.S. and Taliban negotiators struck a draft peace deal last week that could have led to a drawdown of troops from America's longest war. There are currently 14,000 U.S. forces as well as thousands of other NATO troops in the country, 18 years after its invasion by a U.S.-led coalition following Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States.

Fighting in Afghanistan has continued amid the talks and recent assaults by the Taliban cast doubts over the draft deal. As violence has escalated, Afghan leaders including President Ashraf Ghani have been increasingly critical of the deal and encouraged the Taliban to enter direct talks.