A powerful vehicle bomb has hit the diplomatic area of the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing at least 80 people and injuring 350.

Military choppers of the Afghanistan security forces have dropped commandos atop the building holding the remaining militants and the battle is "inching towards final assault."

A day after a powerful earthquake hit northern Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials said on Tuesday that more than 300 people had been killed in both countries, while warning that a complete picture of the damage in remote areas isolated by difficult terrain and an active insurgency could take days to emerge.

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban seem loose, almost offhand, on camera as they wait for the American Black Hawk to land. Two fighters walk their hostage, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, out to American troops, greeting their enemies eye to eye as they quickly shake hands. They wave as the Americans retreat back to the chopper.