Beijing has demanded the Taliban government protect its citizens after an explosion at a Chinese-run restaurant in the Afghan capital Kabul killed at least seven people.
Six Afghans and one Chinese national were killed, and several more injured, in the blast at a Chinese restaurant in a heavily-guarded part of the city centre on Monday, officials told the media.
The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, although police in Kabul indicated that the nature of the explosion is unknown so far and is being investigated.
In the wake of the incident, China has urged its citizens not to travel to Afghanistan, citing the Taliban's seizure of control in 2021 and an escalating number of bombings claimed by IS.
Speaking on Tuesday, Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun mentioned that China had made urgent representations with the Afghan side, demanding that the Afghan side spare no effort to treat the injured, and further take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens.
Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran reported that the explosion occurred near the kitchen of the Chinese Noodle restaurant, located under a guesthouse in the Shahr-e-Naw area of the capital.
Dejan Panic, the Afghanistan director of humanitarian group EMERGENCY, stated that their hospital received 20 people, with seven declared dead on arrival. Among the injured were four women and a child.
Social media footage from the aftermath of the explosion showed a significant hole in the side of the building, as locals rushed to assist those in critical condition to the hospital.
According to police spokesman Zadran, the restaurant primarily served Chinese Muslims and was operated by a Chinese Muslim from Xinjiang, alongside his wife and their Afghan business partner.
In its statement, IS highlighted that China was on the list of its targets, blaming China's actions against Uyghur Muslims. China faces accusations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which it denies.
Historically, IS has targeted Chinese interests in Afghanistan, including a 2022 attack on a Chinese hotel in Kabul that left several casualties. Additionally, recent attacks against Chinese nationals in Tajikistan have prompted Beijing to advise its citizens to leave the Tajik-Afghan border.
