Indian President condemns Afghanistan attack

Pranab Mukherjee has written to  President Mohd. Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan to condemn the attack.

The Indian President called the act as cowardly.

"#PresidentMukherjee writes to President Mohd. Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan conveying condolences on the loss of lives in an attack in Kabul," the official Twitter page of the Indian President posted.

"India strongly condemns the cowardly act & stands in solidarity with people of Afghanistan during these difficult hours #PresidentMukherjee," it said.

"This is yet another instance of senseless violence that cannot be justified under any circumstances #PresidentMukherjee," another tweet said.

The death toll in a massive suicide car bomb blast that ripped through Kabul's diplomatic quarter Wednesday has climbed to at least 80 while 320 people, including women and children, were left injured, reports said.

The blast took place  at around 08 30 am on Wazir Akbar Khan road close to the Zanbaq square- Kabul's high security diplomatic area where the Indian embassy and several other diplomatic missions are located.

Al Jazeera quoted police and health official sources as saying that  least 80 people were killed and more than 300 wounded in the attack. The death toll was expected to rise.

Other media reports also quoted Afghanistan health ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh as saying that the toll is  80, though the state-run Khaama Press put the number of dead at 64.