An explosion ripped through a Chinese-operated eatery in a hotel located in a heavily fortified area of Afghanistan’s capital on Monday, resulting in the deaths of one Chinese national and six Afghan individuals, with multiple others sustaining injuries, including a child, according to officials.
The restaurant, situated in the bustling Shahr-e-Naw district of Kabul, which is home to office buildings, shopping centers, and embassies, was targeted in the attack, as stated by police spokesperson Khalid Zadran. Despite being considered a secure zone within the city, the Afghan wing of the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the assault, asserting it was executed by a suicide bomber.
The dining establishment, managed jointly by a Chinese Muslim man named Abdul Majid, his spouse, and an Afghan associate named Abdul Jabbar Mahmood, catered to the Chinese Muslim community, confirmed Zadran.
A report from the Amaq news agency indicated that the local faction of the Islamic State had included Chinese nationals as part of its list of targets, citing alleged mistreatment by the Chinese government against the Uyghur population.
The tragic incident resulted in the loss of one Chinese citizen, identified as Ayub, and six Afghan individuals, with several others sustaining injuries in the explosion near the kitchen area, Zadran disclosed.
Footage circulating on social media depicted debris strewn across the street and smoke billowing from a substantial breach in the front of the restaurant structure.
Dejan Panic, the country director of the humanitarian organization EMERGENCY in Afghanistan, reported, “We have received 20 individuals at our medical facility thus far,” adding that among the wounded were four women and a child, while regrettably, seven individuals had already succumbed to their injuries upon arrival.
While Afghan authorities have yet to officially determine the cause of the explosion, citing an ongoing investigation, the president of neighboring Pakistan released a statement attributing the blast to a bomb.
Despite the Taliban assuming control of Afghanistan in 2021 with promises of enhancing security, bomb incidents have persisted, with numerous attacks being claimed by the local faction of the militant Islamic State group.