A truck bomb explosion in the Green Village district of Kabul, Afghanistan, injured almost 100 people, including 23 children. The area is home to many foreigners and non-governmental organizations.

According to police spokesman Basir Mujahid, a vehicle filled with explosives detonated in the area on Monday evening.

“The area is cordoned off… and search operation underway for suspects and attackers,” Mujahid told Reuters. Citing an anonymous security source, Reuters reported that the blast destroyed a wall between Green Village and the nearby customs office.

“Residential houses nearby have sustained heavy damage,” said interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish. “Special police forces' units have been deployed to the site to check if there are more attackers.”

Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar confirmed the large number of casualties, including children, in a tweet.

Footage shows ambulances returning from a blast scene in Kabul's PD9 -- near Green Village compound on Kabul-Jalalabad road. pic.twitter.com/e4KZx3jH3Z — TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) January 14, 2019

Green Village is a high-security compound on the Kabul-Jalalabad road, advertised as “a safe, secure and protected refuge in Kabul” for international contractors, NGOs and visitors. This is not the first attack on the compound in recent years, but it appears to be the largest in terms of casualties.

The bombing comes as US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad arrives in the region for peace talks aimed at ending the 17-year US intervention. In addition to Afghanistan, he is supposed to visit Pakistan, India and China during a week-long trip.

At least 4 complex attacks on Green Village in #Kabul,which I remember since 2012:1_MAY, 2012: 8 killed & 17 wounded. 2_Nov,2014 attackers failed to go in.3_Nov,2018: no casualties reported.January 2019: 4 killed & 44 wounded.This comp is used by foreigners largely. pic.twitter.com/dznEpyPhYO — Miraqa Popal (@MiraqaPopal) January 14, 2019

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