At least eight people have been killed after a suicide bomber detonated explosives near the entrance of the Russian embassy in Kabul, security sources have reported.
The dead include two employees of the embassy, the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday.
“As a result of the attack, two employees of the diplomatic mission were killed, and there are also victims among Afghan citizens,” the ministry said. It did not offer any details as to who the staff members were or how they died.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility later on Monday. An Islamic State fighter “blew up his suicide vest in a gathering attended by Russian employees” near the embassy, the group said in a statement via Telegram channels.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking to journalists in Moscow, slammed the attack as “absolutely unacceptable”.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry confirmed the deaths of two embassy staff.
Four Afghans waiting for consular services were also killed and several more wounded, Kabul police said.
Earlier, RIA Novosti, citing anonymous sources, said 15-20 people were killed or wounded due to the explosion which occurred when a Russian diplomat came out to people waiting outside to call out the names of the candidates for a visa.
“It (blast) actually happened close to the embassy where there was a crowd of people gathered to apply for the Russian visa,” Kabul-based journalist Najib Lalzoy told Al Jazeera.
Locals said a large number of people were present at the spot when the bomb exploded at around 10.50 am (0620 GMT) on Monday morning.
“The eyewitnesses close to the Russian embassy say the casualties could be very high. Some of them say that even Russian diplomats are among the dead. But it is yet to be confirmed here in Kabul,” Lalzoy told Al Jazeera.
Police said the attacker was shot dead by armed guards as he approached the embassy gate in Darul Aman area in the southwest of the Afghan capital.
“The suicide attacker, before reaching the target, was recognised and shot by Russian embassy (Taliban) guards,” Mawlawi Sabir, the head of the police district where the attack took place, told the Reuters news agency.
Russia is one of the few countries to have maintained an embassy in Kabul after the Taliban took over the country more than a year ago.
Although Moscow does not officially recognise the Taliban’s government, they have been in talks with officials over an agreement supply gasoline and other commodities.
In recent weeks, the ISIL (ISIS) group has targeted civilians as well as religious seminaries and mosques in Kabul and other parts of the country.
Journalist Lalzoy said the “unexpected” suicide attack targeted the civilians.
“It is very unexpected because the security officials of Kabul believe the security around Kabul is very tight. And these kind of places like embassies are well-protected,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Secondly, the explosion happened where the Afghans were gathered. It seems the target was to just kill innocent people.”
