Kabul: The Taliban government’s Ministry of Interior confirmed a suicide attack near the entrance of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing in Kabul’s ninth district on Thursday morning, resulting in at least one death and three injuries.
According to Interior Ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani, the suicide bomber was identified and neutralized by Taliban security personnel before entering the ministry building.
"Unfortunately, a suicide attacker attempted to enter the ministry but was identified and eliminated by our Mujahideen [Taliban security forces] at the gate. Before reaching his target, he was killed. However, due to the explosion, we have one martyr and three injured."
Taliban officials have not disclosed the exact time of the attack. Some reports indicate that the bomber intended to target a deputy minister within the Ministry of Urban Development, though the official's name has not been mentioned. Other sources claim the attack resulted in two deaths and three injuries.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. This incident marks the second high-profile assassination attempt in Kabul since December 11, 2024, when a suicide bomber targeted Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the acting minister of Refugees and Repatriation. That attack, which resulted in multiple casualties among ministry staff, was later claimed by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K).
Meanwhile, ISIS-K has also claimed responsibility for another recent suicide bombing outside a Kabul Bank branch in Kunduz province on Tuesday. The attack targeted Taliban security personnel who had gathered to collect their salaries.
According to reports, the ISIS propaganda wing confirmed that a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest in front of the bank. The explosion killed 25 people, including Taliban security guards, and injured seven others.
