KABUL: At least six civilians were killed and several others, including three Taliban security force personnel, were wounded in a suicide attack near a security checkpoint leading to the foreign ministry in Kabul on Monday, reported Tolo News.
The blast occurred near a security checkpoint in Malik Azghar Square in Kabul, a spokesman for the Kabul security department, Khalid Zadran said.
Monday’s incident took place around lunchtime when the city is especially crowded as government office staff leave early for the day during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan.
According to the Khaama Press, the blast happened when the Ministry of foreign affairs employees left their offices.
“In Malik Azghar Square … a suicide attacker before reaching the target was identified at a check point and killed, but his explosives detonated,” said Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran. He said several people were injured, including three Taliban security force members.
Earlier, the eyewitnesses confirmed to Tolo News that a blast happened on Foreign Ministry’s road near the Daudzai Trade Center, and they also described it as a heavy explosion.
Meanwhile, the Emergency NGO in Kabul said on Twitter that it received 12 wounded from the blast near Foreign Ministry this afternoon while two other victims were already dead on arrival. It added that one child is among those wounded in the explosion.
Taliban authorities have not commented yet. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Several ambulances reached to the area to transfer the injured people to Wazir Akbar Khan hospital, reported Khaama Press.
Kabul and other urban areas have been hit by several attacks in recent months, some of which have been claimed by Islamic State militants.
A blast in January killed at least five people and injured dozens at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as employees streamed out of the building at the end of the working day. The Taliban administration has said it is focused on securing the country and that it has carried out several raids against suspected Islamic State members in recent weeks. (ANI)