Beijing has demanded the Taliban government protect its citizens after an explosion at a Chinese-run restaurant in the Afghan capital Kabul killed at least seven people. Six Afghans and one Chinese national were killed, and several more injured, in the blast at a Chinese restaurant in a heavily-guarded part of the city centre on Monday, officials told the media.
The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, although Kabul police stated the nature of the explosion is unknown so far and is being investigated.
China has strongly discouraged its citizens from traveling to Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in 2021, as the IS has been implicated in several bombings during that time. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated that China had made urgent representations with Afghan authorities, demanding increased efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and proper treatment for the injured.
The explosion occurred near the kitchen of the Chinese Noodle restaurant located under a guesthouse in Kabul's Shahr-e-Naw district, according to police spokesman Khalid Zadran. Dejan Panic, an official from humanitarian group EMERGENCY, reported that their hospital treated 20 people, seven of whom arrived dead. The victims included four women and a child among the injured.
Eyewitness accounts described a scene of chaos and destruction, with local residents helping rush critical patients to the hospital. Police confirmed that the restaurant primarily served Chinese Muslims and was operated by individuals from the Chinese region of Xinjiang.
The IS faction mentioned that China had become a target due to its actions against oppressed Uyghur Muslims. The Chinese government has faced accusations of committing human rights violations against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang, which it has denied.
The IS had previously claimed responsibility for an assault on a Chinese-owned hotel in Kabul back in 2022. Recently, Chinese nationals across the border in Tajikistan have also been targeted, prompting Beijing to advise its citizens to evacuate the Tajik-Afghan border area.
The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, although Kabul police stated the nature of the explosion is unknown so far and is being investigated.
China has strongly discouraged its citizens from traveling to Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in 2021, as the IS has been implicated in several bombings during that time. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated that China had made urgent representations with Afghan authorities, demanding increased efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and proper treatment for the injured.
The explosion occurred near the kitchen of the Chinese Noodle restaurant located under a guesthouse in Kabul's Shahr-e-Naw district, according to police spokesman Khalid Zadran. Dejan Panic, an official from humanitarian group EMERGENCY, reported that their hospital treated 20 people, seven of whom arrived dead. The victims included four women and a child among the injured.
Eyewitness accounts described a scene of chaos and destruction, with local residents helping rush critical patients to the hospital. Police confirmed that the restaurant primarily served Chinese Muslims and was operated by individuals from the Chinese region of Xinjiang.
The IS faction mentioned that China had become a target due to its actions against oppressed Uyghur Muslims. The Chinese government has faced accusations of committing human rights violations against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang, which it has denied.
The IS had previously claimed responsibility for an assault on a Chinese-owned hotel in Kabul back in 2022. Recently, Chinese nationals across the border in Tajikistan have also been targeted, prompting Beijing to advise its citizens to evacuate the Tajik-Afghan border area.
