Kabul suicide bombing kills one, injures three near Afghan ministry

A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in front of the Afghan Ministry of Urban Development and Housing in Kabul, killing one person and injuring three others.

According to Abdul Mateen Kaneh, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry of the Taliban-led government, the attacker attempted to enter the building but was stopped by security personnel, Caliber.Az reports referring to Afghan media outlets.

Mohammad Kamal Afghan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, confirmed the explosion, stating that it occurred after security guards at the gate “eliminated the terrorist.” Despite their intervention, the blast still resulted in casualties.

On February 11, another bombing struck northeastern Afghanistan, killing at least five people and injuring seven others near a Kabul Bank branch in Kunduz province. 

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The victims included the bank’s security guard, as well as civilians and members of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban group.

Jumadin Khaksar, spokesperson for the Kunduz province police, confirmed that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber using improvised explosive devices. He added that authorities are working with relevant organizations to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban’s return to power, the frequency of bombings and suicide attacks in the country has significantly decreased. However, extremist groups such as ISIS (ISIL) continue to pose a serious security challenge.

In October 2021, a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Kunduz killed dozens, with the ISIS affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP) claiming responsibility. Similarly, in March 2022, a suicide attack outside a bank in Kandahar killed at least three people, also attributed to ISIS.

Despite these incidents, Taliban authorities insist they have largely neutralized the threat posed by ISIS and other militant groups.

By Tamilla Hasanova