Islamic State group claims attack on a Kabul restaurant that killed 7, including a Chinese national

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility overnight for a deadly attack at a restaurant in Afghanistan’s capital that killed at least seven people Monday, including a Chinese national, as authorities in Kabul said they were still investigating.

The militant group said in a statement posted on its Aamaq news agency late Monday that a suicide bomber entered a restaurant frequented by Chinese nationals in the city and detonated an explosive vest during a gathering. It claimed 25 people were killed or wounded in the attack, including Taliban guards. The claim could not be independently verified.

Afghan authorities have not officially confirmed the cause of the Monday blast and Interior Ministry spokesperson Mufti Abdul Mateen Qani said Tuesday they are still investigating the explosion.

The IS claim corresponded in style to previous ones issued by the group, and supporters of the militants widely shared it early Tuesday. The claim included a further threat against Chinese nationals in Afghanistan, linking the attack to China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims.

While nearly all nations pulled out of Afghanistan following the Taliban offensive of 2021 that led to them seizing Kabul, China has maintained a major economic presence in the country. Beijing has yet to diplomatically recognize Afghanistan’s Taliban-run government.

The attack happened at a Chinese restaurant in the Shahr-e-Naw district in the city, according to police spokesperson Khalid Zadran. He said Monday the restaurant was jointly owned by an Afghan man, a Chinese national and his wife.

Zadran said one Chinese national and six Afghans were killed and several others were wounded. The blast occurred near the restaurant’s kitchen, he said.

The Italian charity EMERGENCY, which operates a surgical center near the site, said Monday it received 20 casualties from the blast, including seven people who were already dead. The number of victims remained provisional, the organization said.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported two Chinese citizens were seriously injured and a security guard was killed. Footage aired by Afghan broadcaster Tolo News showed people running along the street as smoke and dust billowed from the area.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the explosion, which he attributed to a bomb, in a statement issued by his office. He accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of failing to uphold ceasefire agreements, particularly commitments to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to carry out attacks.

His comments followed an announcement by Tajik authorities that border guards killed four gunmen who crossed into the country from Afghanistan overnight. Afghan officials said the men were drug smugglers. Kabul has repeatedly said it does not allow its territory to be used by militant groups.

The Islamic State group has been behind some attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

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Associated Press writer Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this story.