Update: 29 killed in twin blasts in Kabul

"Initial information suggest the second blast was also a suicide bomber, who disguised himself as a journalist having a camera in hand to access the area," Masooom Stanekzai, head of the NDS intelligence service said.

New Delhi: The death toll in twin blasts this morning in Afghanistan's capital Kabul has mounted to 29. Seven out them are said to be media persons. Initial reports had said thirty people were wounded in the powerful explosions. News agency Agence France-Presse's chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, was one among the deceased.  Reports say the second blast had targeted a group of journalists who had rushed to the scene of the first blast. A police official told news agency Efe that a suicide bomber detonated the first bomb on his motorcycle at 8 a.m., in the Shash Darak area in Police District 9. Kabul Police chief Dawood Amin said the second detonation followed after about half an hour. "Initial information suggest the second blast was also a suicide bomber, who disguised himself as a journalist having a camera in hand to access the area," Masooom Stanekzai, head of the NDS intelligence service said. "The bomber/attacker blew himself up among journalists and civilians who had gathered near the area of the first explosion."

Agence France-Presse’s chief photographer in Kabul #ShahMarai was killed in a secondary explosion on Monday morning. #KabulBlast pic.twitter.com/sgXyRyWAuj

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) April 30, 2018

It is not yet clear what was targeted in the bombing in Shash Darak where an office complex of the Afghan intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, the NATO headquarters and several international nonprofits are located. Last week, the Taliban rejected the Afghan government's dialogue offer proposed in late February and announced the start of its new spring military offensive. (With IANS inputs)