According to the interior ministry, a suicide assault near Afghanistan’s foreign ministry was claimed by the Islamic State group and left six civilians dead and numerous others injured.
Security has significantly increased since the Taliban retook control in August 2021, toppling the US-supported administration and putting an end to their two-decade insurgency, but IS has proven to be a growing danger.
According to a tweet from the interior ministry’s spokesman, Abdul Nafy Takor, Afghan forces recognized the attacker on Monday and opened fire on him in front of a business center close to the foreign ministry.
In a later statement published on Amaq, the jihadist group’s news outlet, IS claimed responsibility for the assault.
The capital’s hospital run by the Italian NGO Emergency verified it had received two fatalities and 12 injuries, among them a child.
The explosion on Monday was the first since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Thursday in Afghanistan and the second assault in less than three months close to the foreign ministry in Kabul.
According to the United Nations, a suicide bomber detonated himself on January 11 close to the foreign ministry, injuring 53 people and murdering 10.
The Taliban authorities, who have often tried to play down attacks challenging their rule, had said that five people were killed in that attack, which was also claimed by IS.
The group has increasingly become a major challenge, killing and wounding hundreds of people in several attacks, some targeting foreigners or foreign interests in a bid to undermine the Taliban government.
