Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/KABUL: The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing outside the Afghan foreign ministry in Kabul that killed at least five people and injured 40 others.
ISIS takes responsibility
According to the AFP, IS member slipped security barriers put up by Taliban before blowing up his explosive belt in the middle of employees and guards, Amaq news agency of the local chapter of IS said on the Telegram messaging app.
A private company driver waiting outside the building saw a man holding a bag with a rifle slung over his shoulder walk past before he blew himself up.
“The man passed by my car, and after a few seconds, there was a loud blast,” eyewitness Jamshed Karimi said, adding he saw 20 to 25 casualties. “I saw the man blowing himself up.”
Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said that the blast killed five civilians and several more wounded.
The local IS offshoot known as Islamic State-Khorasan (ISK) claimed that the blast killed at least 20 people “including many ‘diplomatic’ employees.”
An Italian non-governmental organisation NGO, which operates a hospital in Kabul, said that it received more than 40 injured people.
It said that casualties continued to rise and “we have also set up beds in the kitchen and canteen.”
