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Kabul, Afghanistan – A deadly explosion ripped through a Chinese restaurant in Afghanistan’s capital on Monday, killing at least seven people and injuring numerous others, including a child. The attack underscores the ongoing security challenges facing the Taliban government despite promises of stability.
IS Claims Responsibility for Kabul Restaurant Attack
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, which targeted a restaurant popular with members of Afghanistan’s Chinese Muslim community.
- A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device inside the restaurant.
- One Chinese national, identified as Ayub, was among those killed.
- The restaurant was located in Kabul’s heavily guarded Shahr-e-Naw district.
- The attack raises concerns about the security of foreign nationals in Afghanistan.
- The Islamic State group has increasingly targeted Chinese interests.
The blast occurred in the Shahr-e-Naw neighborhood of Kabul, a commercial area housing offices, shopping centers, and embassies. Police spokesperson Khalid Zadran described the district as one of the safest in the city. The Afghan branch of the Islamic State asserted responsibility for the attack in a statement, claiming a suicide bomber carried out the operation.
The Chinese restaurant was co-owned by Abdul Majid, a Chinese Muslim, his wife, and an Afghan partner, Abdul Jabbar Mahmood. It catered specifically to the Chinese Muslim community in Kabul, Zadran explained. The restaurant was near the kitchen when the explosion occurred.
What is driving the targeting of Chinese citizens in Afghanistan? The Amaq news agency, affiliated with Islamic State, stated that Chinese citizens were now considered legitimate targets, citing alleged “growing crimes by the Chinese government against Uyghurs.” This suggests a potential link between the attack and the ongoing concerns over the treatment of Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang region.
Rights organizations have long accused Beijing of widespread abuses against Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority group numbering around 10 million people in Xinjiang. The Chinese government vehemently denies these allegations, accusing Western nations of interference and spreading misinformation.
In the immediate aftermath, Zadran confirmed that Ayub, a Chinese national, and six Afghan citizens were killed in the blast. Several others sustained injuries. Emergency responders transported 20 people to hospitals, according to Dejan Panic, country director for the humanitarian group EMERGENCY. “Among the wounded are four women and a child… Unfortunately, seven people were already dead on arrival,” Panic stated.
Videos circulating on social media depicted debris strewn across the street and thick smoke billowing from a significant hole in the restaurant’s facade. Afghan authorities have initiated an investigation into the cause of the blast but have not yet released an official determination.
However, the president of neighboring Pakistan issued a statement attributing the explosion to a bomb. This aligns with the Islamic State’s claim of a suicide bombing.
Since seizing control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has pledged to restore security. Despite these assurances, bomb attacks have continued, with the local Islamic State affiliate claiming responsibility for many of them. The ongoing violence highlights the challenges the Taliban faces in establishing lasting peace and stability in the country.
