KABUL, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a massive tractor bomb explosion in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul has risen to 16 while 119 others were wounded, the Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at 9:55 p.m. local time Monday after a tractor bomb was detonated at the side of southern wall of Green Village Camp, in a residential area in Qabilbay neighborhood in eastern Kabul, the ministry said in a statement.
"Sixteen civilians, including a number of camp staff, were killed and 119 civilians wounded as a result of the blast," the statement said, adding a fuel pump station also caught fire after the incident.
Around 400 foreign citizens were rescued by the Special Operations Police Forces from the well-protected complex where a number of foreign entities and offices are located and frequented by foreigners living or working in Kabul, the statement said.
The elite police forces also killed five Taliban terrorists hiding at the area and tried to enter the compound, the statement added.
Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack.
He told local media that the outfit's fighters launched a suicide car bombing and gun attack against Green Village, killing scores of foreigners and locals working for them.
The complex had been targeted by Taliban insurgents at least three times in the past.
In mid-January, Taliban conducted a truck bombing outside the complex, killing four people and injuring 90 others.
