Suicide bomber kills 3 civilians outside Kabul base, day after U.S. general's visit

A suicide bomber detonated an explosive Wednesday outside an Afghan special forces base on the outskirts of Kabul, killing at least three civilians and injuring 15, one day after the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan visited the base. 

Officials are blaming the Taliban for the attack, which happened outside the base, as civilian contractors waited to get inside, a military official speaking on the condition of anonymity told the Associated Press.

On Tuesday, Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, visited the base, known as Army Commando Corps, along with the Afghan defense minister, Gen. Assadullah Khalid. 

Tareq Arian, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, in blaming the Taliban calling the attack a crime against humanity.

“The target was likely the base itself, but the bomber failed to reach his target and instead killed innocent civilians,” Arian said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban and the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS,  are active in Kabul and its surroundings and have repeatedly struck military and civilian targets.

The Taliban have continued to attack security outposts, even as the U.S. and NATO proceed with a full troop withdrawal that is set to be completed next year under a deal signed at the end of February between the U.S. peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, and the Taliban.