An explosion was reported in Kabul near the building housing Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry. Sources said ambulances were rushed to the scene.
According to Russian news agency Sputnik, explosion and gunfire was heard right outside the foreign ministry's gates. A spokesman for the Kabul security department, Khalid Zadran, in a tweet confirmed that the blast near the foreign ministry caused casualties, reported news agency ANI.
On January 4, an explosion had taken place at a military airport in Kabul, according to Nafi Takoor, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry. At least 10 people were killed and eight were injured in the incident. Takoor was quoted as saying by Sputnik, "This morning, there was an explosion at the Kabul military airport, due to which a number of our citizens were martyred and injured."
The identity of the perpetrator of the previous explosion in Kabul remains unknown. However, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, a regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, has stepped up its attacks since the Taliban takeover in 2021. They have targeted both Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan's Shiite minority.
The military airport is located only 200 metres (219 yards) away from the civilian airport and near the Interior Ministry, which was also the site of a previous suicide bombing in October last year that resulted in at least four deaths. Although the Taliban prevented photographs and footage to be taken directly at the blast site, it was reported that the checkpoint appeared to be damaged but still standing.
The checkpoint is situated on Airport Road, which leads to high-security neighbourhoods housing government ministries, foreign embassies and the presidential palace.
The Taliban successfully took over Afghanistan in 2021, following a prolonged period of increased violence and political instability. The government, weakened by corruption and infighting, was unable to resist the Taliban's military advancement. Civilians, caught in the crossfire, suffered greatly as the Taliban imposed their strict version of Islamic law. Many fled the country, and those who remained faced harsh punishments for perceived transgressions. The international community condemned the takeover, but their efforts to intervene were limited.