IS group claims attack on Kabul restaurant, killing 7

KABUL — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an explosion that officials said killed a Chinese national and six Afghans, while injuring several more as it tore through a restaurant in a heavily guarded part of Afghanistan's capital.

Monday's blast took place in the commercial Shahr-e-Naw area that is home to offices, shopping complexes and embassies, police spokesman Khalid Zadran said. It is considered one of the safest neighborhoods in the city.

The Afghan branch of Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility, saying in a statement it was carried out by a suicide bomber.

A Chinese national, identified only as Ayub, and six Afghans were killed in the blast near the restaurant's kitchen, while several others were injured, Zadran added. The blast injured five Chinese nationals.

Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that China has lodged urgent representations with Afghanistan over Monday's deadly explosion in Kabul, requesting Afghanistan to spare no effort in treating the injured and "take further effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, projects and institutions in Afghanistan".

Beijing has also demanded a timely investigation into the incident and punishment for the perpetrators, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday.

"China strongly condemns and firmly opposes terrorism in any form, and supports Afghanistan and countries in the region in jointly combating all forms of terrorist violence," he stated.

Given the current security situation in Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry once again advises Chinese citizens to refrain from traveling to Afghanistan for the time being, he said.

"Chinese citizens and enterprises already in Afghanistan should heighten their vigilance, strengthen security measures, and evacuate from high-risk areas as soon as possible," he said.

On Monday, videos shared on social media showed smoke billowing from a large hole torn in the facade of the restaurant building, while debris littered the street outside.

"We have received 20 people at our hospital," Dejan Panic, the Afghanistan director of a humanitarian group, said in a statement, adding that seven were dead on arrival. "Among the wounded are four women and a child."

The Taliban took control of war-torn Afghanistan in 2021 and said it would restore security, but bomb attacks have continued, many of them claimed by the local arm of the Islamic State group.

Zhang Yunbi in Beijing contributed to this story.

Agencies - Xinhua