NATO has condemned aTaliban bombingMondaythat killed at least 24 civiliansin aresidential area ofKabul, Afghanistan.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for asuicide bomber whorammed his explosive-laden car into a bus carrying government employees. The explosion killed24 people and wounded 42 others, The Associated Press reported.

"This morning's Taliban bomb killing Afghan civilians in a crowded Kabul residential area is another in a string of atrocities caused by the insurgent group," reada statement fromResolute Support, aNATO-led mission to train and assist the Afghan security forces.

Kabul's police chief's spokesmanBasir Mujahed said the attack took place in a western Kabul neighborhood where several prominent politicians reside. The bombing happened as residents were heading to work and students were on their way to a nearby private high school.

"The bomber attacked at one of the busiest times of the day," the spokesman said. "There were traffic jams with people going to work and to the university and schools. Many of the shops had just opened."

The bombing is part of a string of recent attacks and comes as President Trump is deciding whether to send several thousand more U.S. troops to the country. The United States already has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan to train and assist Afghan troops in their fight against the Taliban and conducting counterterrorism missions against groups such as al Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Defense Secretary James Mattis promised to deliver a new strategy to Congress for the 16-year-old war by mid-July but has yet to do so.

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NATO condemns latest suicide attack that kills 24 in Afghanistan - The Hill