40 Dead in Kabul Blast

By Rick Moran

In the deadliest attack since the Taliban fell, 40 people were killed when a car bomb exploded in front of the Indian embassy:

The massive explosion detonated by a suicide bomber damaged two embassy vehicles entering the compound, near where dozens of Afghan men line up every morning to apply for visas.

The embassy is located on a busy, tree-lined street near Afghanistan's Interior Ministry in the city center. Several nearby shops were damaged or destroyed in the blast, and smoldering ruins covered the street. The explosion rattled much of the Afghan capital.

No word on who might be responsible yet. Suspects include al-Qaeda, a Kashmir separatist group, and the Taliban.

The Indian government is sending some specialists to investigate while the United States has offered investigatory assistance as well.

The Taliban is denying they were behind the attack:

Still, a Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, denied that the militants were behind the bombing. The Taliban tend to claim responsibility for attacks that inflict heavy tolls on international or Afghan troops, and deny responsibility for attacks that primarily kill Afghan civilians.

"Whenever we do a suicide attack, we confirm it," Mujahid said. "The Taliban did not do this one."

Given the method of attack, it is likely a Taliban or al-Qaeda operation. However, it could have been done in sympathy for Taliban allies in the Pakistani government who are in a conflict with India over the status of Kashmir.

At this point, it would be wise to take nothing of the table.