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Afghanistan: Explosion near Foreign Ministry kills 5

January 11, 2023

The Taliban blocked journalists from accessing the blast site in Kabul. It's still unclear who is responsible for the attack, but the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) has ramped up its activities in recent months.

https://p.dw.com/p/4M1bU
People walk near parked cars after a suicide bombing near the Afghan Foreign Ministry in Kabul
The Taliban have still not been released many details regarding the explosion and its aftermathImage: AFP/Getty Images

A blast near the Afghan Foreign Ministry in Kabul on Wednesday left at least five people dead and several injured, according to the ruling Taliban. 

What do we know so far?

Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said the blast "unfortunately resulted in casualties." He did not give an exact number of the injured.

Some Taliban officials and witnesses say the death toll was higher. 

Ustad Fareedun of the Taliban-managed Information Ministry said 20 people were killed, adding that the assailant sought to penetrate the Afghan Foreign Ministry building itself.

Jamshed Karimi, a driver in the area who witnessed the bombing, told the AFP news agency he saw 20 to 25 casualties.

"He passed by my car and after a few seconds there was a loud blast," Karimi said, describing the perpetrator. "I saw the man blowing himself up."

The Taliban blocked journalists from accessing the blast site. 

Taliban Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Muhajer Farahi told the AFP news agency that the explosion occurred shortly before a Chinese delegation was scheduled to visit.  

Taliban police take security measures after an explosion near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul
The Taliban are on high alert amid a series of IS-led attacksImage: Bilal Güler/AA/picture alliance

The UN, Pakistan and other nations have condemned the suicide bombing. 

Afghanistan faces security quagmire

The so-called "Islamic State" (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack. IS has ramped up its operations in Afghanistan in recent months — a challenge to the Taliban's authority.  

Most recently, IS claimed an attack on a checkpoint near Kabul's military airport this month.  The group also launched a deadly assault on the Kabul Longan hotel in December, injuring five Chinese nationals.

In retaliation, the Taliban recently said it made several raids on IS holdouts. The Taliban claimed 8 members of IS were killed in the operations, including those behind the attack on the Kabul Longan hotel. 

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, rapidly seizing the capital after the US-led NATO withdrawal from the country.

The Taliban's ensuing crackdown on human rights, particularly on women, has drawn wide condemnation from the international community, such as Germany.    

No country has recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, though China, Russia, Iran and others have made limited overtures to it.

wd/msh (AP, AFP, Reuters)