Kunduz: The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing outside a Kabul Bank branch in northern Kunduz province, Afghanistan.
The attack, which took place on Tuesday, resulted in the deaths of at least five people and left seven others injured according to Taliban officials.
According to a statement released by ISIS-K’s propaganda wing, the suicide bomber targeted Taliban fighters who had gathered outside the bank to collect their salaries. The militant group claimed in a Telegram message that "dozens" of Taliban members were killed or wounded in the blast.
A separate online publication linked to ISIS identified the suicide bomber as Abu Ali Al-Ansari.
This attack comes amid ongoing tensions between the Taliban and ISIS-K, which has carried out a series of deadly assaults against the Taliban administration since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
Previously, the United Nations Security Council and Pakistani authorities have warned that multiple terrorist groups are operating in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban government has consistently denied these claims, insisting that ISIS-K has no significant presence in the country. The Taliban maintain that any "minor activities" attributed to ISIS-K are organized from outside Afghanistan.
Despite Taliban assurances, the latest attack highlights the persistent security threats posed by ISIS-K and other extremist groups in the region.
