Explosion, Gunshots Near Guest House Popular With Chinese Visitors In Kabul: Report

Kabul Blast: The incident was reported from Kabul's Shahr-e-Naw area, one of Kabul’s main commercial areas.

There have been scores of bomb blasts and attacks in Afghanistan lately

Source : AFP

An explosion followed by gunshots were heard near a guest house popular with Chinese business visitors in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Monday, AFP reported citing witnesses. The incident was reported from Kabul's Shahr-e-Naw area, one of Kabul’s main commercial areas.

"It was a very loud explosion and then there was a lot of gunfire," the witness told AFP, while local media also reported similar details.

There have been scores of bomb blasts and attacks -- many claimed by the local chapter of the ISIS group -- in the past few months in Afghanistan. However, the ruling Taliban has claimed to have improved national security since storming back to power in August last year.

There has been a significant number of Chinese business people visiting Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power, AFP reported. Beijing maintains a full embassy in Kabul even while not officially recognizing the regime.

Last week, seven people were killed in a roadside blast in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif. Those killed included employees of a petroleum company on a bus.

READ | 7 Killed In An Explosion In Northern Afghanistan, 6 Others Injured

Nearly two weeks ago, at least 17 people died and 26 were injured after a bomb blast hit a religious school in northern Afghanistan. The blast took place in the city of Aybak in Samangan province as people were leaving prayers. The majority of those killed were children aged nine to 15, BBC reported.

In September, at least 54 people, including 51 girls, were killed after a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in the capital city of Kabul. The attacker had targeted a hall where hundreds of students were sitting a test for university admission.

Taliban leaders later blamed ISIS-K for the attack, though the group itself did not take responsibility.

The Taliban formed government in August last year amid a withdrawal by United States-led foreign troops, who had invaded the country and toppled the outfit from power in 2001.