A British national employed by the UN in Afghanistan has been arrested and is being questioned by police after a bomb exploded in a colleague's bedroom causing the victim serious burns, the UN and British embassy has said. The Briton and the victim of the attack, an Albanian national, were both employed by a United Nations-sponsored disarmament program, which collects illegal weapons, including explosive devices, from around the country.The device hidden in the Albanian Muslim's room in a guesthouse in central Kabul exploded at around shortly before midnight on October 12 (local time), the owner of the establishment told AFP. "The explosion resulted in one member of staff receiving extensive burns on his body," UN spokesman Aleem Siddique told AFP. "That member of staff has been evacuated for medical treatment in New Delhi and is currently recovering. His injuries are not life-threatening.
"Another member of staff is currently helping Kabul police with their investigations," Mr Siddique said, confirming the man was being held at the Pul-i-Charki jail on the outskirts of Kabul.
Asked about the incident, a British embassy spokesman said: "A British national has been detained by the Afghan police and is helping with their enquiries."
The blast was powerful and caused serious damage, the owner of the Ajmal Wali guesthouse told AFP. The room and the furniture inside it were destroyed as was a car outside that was hit by debris from the blast, Mohammed Tamin said. It was unclear where the bomb was placed - perhaps under a bed or a table.
A cleaning lady had seen the arrested man enter his colleague's room hours before the explosion, he said.
The motive for the attack was unclear but colleagues said the men, both believed to be in their 30s, had differences at their work at the Afghanistan's New Beginnings Program disarmament drive.
The detained Briton is an ammunitions expert. "The police are trying to pin down what happened," Mr Siddique said.