Kabul suicide attack: 20 dead, 27 hurt

This image made from AP video shows ambulances and security forces near the scene of an explosion in Kabul on Thursday, January 4, 2018. Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry spokesman says a suicide bomber has killed several policemen after exploding his devise amid a group of security officials monitoring protests by shopkeepers in eastern Kabul. More than a dozen policemen were wounded in the Thursday evening bombing. (AP PHOTO)

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan police said the death toll from the Thursday night’s suicide attack in Kabul has jumped to 20, with another 27 policemen wounded.

The attack took place in the eastern part of the Afghan capital where dozens of security officers had congregated to protect a demonstration of shopkeepers that had been held earlier in the day.

First reports immediately after the blast put the death toll at six officers but police official Jan Agha said that by Friday morning, the number of those killed had significantly increased.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing but both Taliban insurgents and the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan have targeted the country’s security forces in the past.                 /kga