At least twenty people died in an attack on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Afghanistan

An attack, perpetrated by a kamikaze at the entrance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan, left at least twenty fatalities.

A driver near the building saw the man armed with a backpack pass by, seconds before he blew himself up.

“I saw between 20 and 25 victims. I don’t know how many of them were dead or wounded. I was waiting in the car, when I saw a man with a kalashnikov on his shoulder and carrying a bag. He passed close to my car and a few seconds later there was a loud bang. I saw this man blow himself up,” driver Jamshed Karimi said.

Kabul police confirmed the attack on social media and assured that security teams had arrived in the area. “Unfortunately it caused casualties,” police spokesman Khalid Zadran tweeted.

At the time of the explosion, a Chinese delegation was expected to arrive at the facility.

“Today a delegation from China was supposed to visit the foreign ministry, but we don’t know if they were present at the time of the explosion,” said Deputy Information and Culture Minister Muhajer Farahi.

Despite the fact that upon coming to power, in August 2021, the Taliban promised to increase security in Afghanistan, in recent months the attacks claimed by the Islamic State have increased.

China has not officially recognized the Taliban government, but it has a common border and is one of the few countries that maintains a diplomatic presence. (YO)