At least 20 people were killed and more than 40 injured in a suicide bombing outside the Afghan foreign ministry today. The militant group “Islamic State” (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, adding that the casualties included diplomats.
Police said at least five people were killed in an attack by a suicide bomber, while nearby hospitals said more than 40 were injured.
Islamic State-linked Amaq news agency said on its Telegram platform that the Islamic State claimed responsibility and said the suicide bombing killed and wounded dozens of people, including diplomats. Amaq news agency reported that an ISIS member slipped past a Taliban security barrier “then detonated his bomb belt among employees and guards”.
An AFP team was conducting interviews in the news department next door when the explosion occurred.
A driver waiting outside saw a man walking by with a bag and a rifle slung over his shoulder before detonating himself. “He passed my car and a few seconds later there was a loud bang,” the driver said, adding he saw 20 to 25 casualties.
Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said five civilians were killed and many others were injured in the explosion.
“There should be a Chinese delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, but we don’t know if they were there when the explosion happened,” Muhajer Farahi, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture of Afghanistan, told AFP. (Ahmadullah Muttaqi), said that no foreigners were present in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when the suicide bomber attacked.
U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West said on Twitter that diplomats “have seen reports of at least 20 dead and many more injured. Senseless violence.”
(Responsible editor-in-chief: Zhuang Yuyu)