6 killed in blasts at Kabul high school

At least six people were killed and 24 wounded yesterday by two bomb blasts that struck a boys' school in a Shia Hazara neighbourhood of the Afghan capital, police and hospital staff said.

Several bodies were strewn outside the gate of the Kabul school, alongside patches of blood, burnt books and school bags, according to images posted on social media.

"We were leaving school and had just stepped out from the rear gate when the explosion occurred," Ali Jan, a student who was wounded in the first blast, told AFP at a hospital.

The second blast took place as rescuers arrived to ferry victims from the first explosion to hospitals. "When I heard of the blast I called one of my friends who studies at that school," said wounded shopkeeper Murtaza.

"His phone was switched off. Then I went to the site... and that's when I was hit in the second blast."

Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran told AFP that the attack outside the Abdul Rahim Shahid school was caused by improvised explosive devices, killing six people.

"These are preliminary figures. We are at the site and waiting for more details," he said.

Two hospitals confirmed they were treating a total of 24 people wounded in the blasts.