At least 4 killed in Taliban attack on German consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan

Photo: AFP

 

A suicide bomber has rammed a truck into a German consulate in Afghanistan, killing at least four civilians and wounding 120, officials said, the BBC reports.

Gunman attacked the building after the blast, in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, battling with German and Afghan forces.

The Taliban said it carried out the attack in retaliation for air strikes last week in Kunduz province.

Local police said at least one suspect had been arrested in connection with the bombing.

A Nato spokesman said there was “massive damage” to the consulate.

At least one car packed with explosives was rammed into the wall surrounding the compound, the spokesman said. Officials were also investigating whether a second car bomb was involved.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the fighters had been sent “with a mission to destroy the German consulate general and kill whoever they found there”, Reuters reported.

All German consulate staff were “safe and uninjured”, the German foreign ministry said, adding that troops were on site preparing to evacuate staff.

Germany leads the Nato diplomatic mission in northern Afghanistan and has nearly 1,000 troops stationed in the country.