Seven killed in Chinese restaurant blast in secure Kabul area

The explosion occurred on Monday inside the restaurant, located in the Shar-e-Now commercial area of the capital. The area houses several office buildings, shopping centers, and multiple embassies, making it relatively secure in Kabul. Khalid Jadran, spokesperson for the Kabul police, reported that the blast happened near the restaurant’s kitchen.

The deceased included a Chinese national identified as Ayyub, as well as six Afghan citizens. The restaurant catered to the Chinese Muslim community and was jointly owned by Chinese Muslim businessman Abdul Majid, his wife, and Afghan partner Abdul Jabbar Mahmood.

Immediately after the explosion, social media videos showed the restaurant’s front severely damaged, with debris scattered across nearby streets. Smoke engulfed the entire area.

The Islamic State’s Afghan branch claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the group, a suicide attacker carried out the explosion. Their propaganda stated that Chinese citizens were targeted due to alleged oppression of Uyghur Muslims in China.

Human rights organizations have long accused China of persecuting Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, though Beijing denies this, calling it Western propaganda.

The Italy-based international humanitarian organization “Emergency” reported that 20 injured were taken to its hospital, with seven dying before arrival. Among the injured, four were women and one was a child. The total number of casualties has not yet been finalized.

Since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021 and the Taliban’s return to power, the frequency of explosions in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan has comparatively decreased. However, Islamic State-affiliated groups remain active and occasionally carry out attacks.