Explosion claimed lives outside the Afghan foreign ministry in Kabul

However, the foreign and interior ministries have not responded to the Taliban-run communications ministry’s claim that 20 people were killed in the Kabul blast.

According to a Taliban spokesman, at least 20 people have died after a suspected suicide bomber blew himself up outside the foreign ministry in Kabul, the second significant strike on the Afghan capital this year.

The bomber intended to penetrate the foreign ministry but was unable to do so, according to Ustad Fareedun, a representative of the Taliban-run media ministry, who spoke to Reuters. He continued by saying that at least 20 people died and numerous others were hurt in the explosion.

Sources from the government confirmed that a picture of the scene showed at least nine victims lying on the ground outside the ministry while security staff helped them.

Security teams have been sent to the site, according to Khalid Zadran, the spokesperson for the chief of Kabul’s police. He listed five fatalities. According to Zadran, the explosion occurred on Wednesday at around 4 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. GMT).

The Taliban’s interior and foreign ministries have not yet said anything about the explosion that killed people.

The differences in the casualty estimates, according to Obaidullah Baheer, a lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, are “troubling.”

“The Taliban have done this before. Denying the number of genuine casualties does not improve city security. “There are therefore many questions and few answers,” he told Al Jazeera.

The blast site is located in a very high-security region, according to Baheer. Multiple checkpoints are present. “To enter that street, you need to have certain documents,” he stated.

According to reports, the explosion took place as a Chinese delegation met with Taliban representatives at the ministry of foreign affairs.

According to Muhajer Farahi, deputy minister of information and culture, “there was supposed to be a Chinese delegation in the foreign ministry today, but we don’t know if they were present at the time of the bomb.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES