Afghanistan: Aftermath of fatal blast at busy Kabul market

Two people were killed when an explosive device hidden in a cart detonated in a busy market area in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday.

The device also wounded five police officers who were trying to remove it when it exploded, said Kabul police spokesman, Ferdows Faramarz.

A recent spike in violence in Afghanistan has been mostly attributed to the Islamic State affiliate operating in the country, whom the Taliban are fighting, as are the Afghan government and U.S. forces.

Previously a U.S. Department of Defense official who could not be named because of the sensitivity of the subject said Washington considered IS its biggest threat in Afghanistan, and wanted a deal that would recruit the Taliban in a coordinated fight against it.

Earlier in the day a traditional Afghan council agreed on a resolution to free 400 Taliban prisoners to pave the way for an early start to negotiations between Afghanistan's warring sides and looks to bring the United States closer to bringing its troops home and ending its longest military engagement.