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Agence France-Presse

A blast at a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people and wounded more than a dozen others, emergency services said.
An Agence France-Presse journalist saw police vehicles and an ambulance at the scene following the explosion on a street known for its flower sellers in the Shahr-e-Naw area.
Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion occurred at the Chinese Noodle restaurant, which he said mainly served Chinese Muslims.
“A Chinese Muslim, Ayub, and six Afghans were killed, and several others were wounded. The blast occurred near the kitchen,” Zadran said in a statement.

The police spokesman, who said the cause was under investigation, had earlier said the blast hit a hotel.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, the SITE Intelligence Group reported, saying it was a suicide attack targeting Chinese nationals.
“The Islamic State in Afghanistan has placed Chinese nationals on its list of targets, especially in light of the escalating crimes committed by the Chinese government against the oppressed Uygur Muslims,” the Isis statement said.
Italian NGO EMERGENCY said its hospital near the targeted restaurant had received “seven people dead on arrival”, with 13 others admitted to the surgical department.
“Among the wounded are four women and a child,” Dejan Panic, the NGO’s country director, said in a statement.
The owner of a flower shop, requesting anonymity for security reasons, said the blast happened at around 3.30pm at the other end of the street from his business.

He said he heard the “strong sound” of a blast in the crowded area.
“It was an emergency situation. Everybody feared for his own life,” he said.
“I could see at least five wounded.”
Within hours of the blast the street was reopened to traffic, with cars streaming past the restaurant’s covered entrance.
Windows in the building opposite were smashed.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari “strongly condemned the bomb blast at a Chinese restaurant in Kabul,” his office said in a statement.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been particularly strained in recent months, with tension spilling into violence. In October, the two came close to all-out conflict and cross-border clashes left dozens dead. The fighting ended after Qatar brokered a ceasefire.
Taliban officials have vowed to restore security to the country and are courting foreign investors to secure crucial revenue streams as foreign aid funding dries up.
Chinese business visitors have flocked to Afghanistan since the Taliban government took power in 2021 for the second time.
The following year, Isis claimed a deadly attack on a Kabul hotel popular with Chinese guests.
China, which shares a rugged 76km (47-mile) border with Afghanistan, has close ties with the Taliban government.
Additional reporting by Associated Press


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Taliban security personnel at the scene of the blast in Kabul. Photo: AFP


Within hours of the blast the street was reopened to traffic, with cars streaming past the restaurant’s covered entrance. Photo: AFP

Windows in the building opposite were smashed. Photo: AFP

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The Afghan branch of Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack, saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber


The Afghan branch of Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack, saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber.


Explosion at Chinese restaurant in Afghan capital Kabul kills 7

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Afghan branch of Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack, saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber

The Afghan branch of Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack, saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber