Taliban official: Explosion kills 1, injures 3 in Kabul

ISLAMABAD: An explosion hit a minivan in a Shiite neighborhood of western Kabul Wednesday, killing at least one person and wounding three others, a Taliban official said.

Zabihullah Mujahid, deputy minister for culture and information in the Taliban-led government, told The Associated Press that an investigation is continuing. He did not elaborate.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a blast on Saturday that killed one person and wounded five others.

It's the third explosion in Kabul over the last week. A roadside bomb struck a taxi in Kabul Monday, wounding two people.

The country also is struggling with rising poverty in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover in August.

Early Wednesday morning, the Taliban foreign ministry urged the U.S. Congress in an open letter to release Afghanistan's assets, which were blocked after the takeover.

“American sanctions have not only played havoc with trade and business but also with humanitarian assistance," the statement said.

The World Food Program warned on Tuesday that 8.7 million people in Afghanistan are at risk of facing “famine-like conditions” and an additional 14.1 million are suffering acute food insecurity.

According to the WFP report, 600,000 displaced people and drought in the country are adding to the poverty.