Suicide bomber kills 5 outside bank in Afghanistan

A suicide bombing outside a bank in the city of Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, claimed the lives of five people, including Taliban security personnel, on Tuesday.

The attack occurred as a crowd of civilians queued to collect their salaries from the bank. According to local police, seven individuals sustained injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Kunduz province has experienced repeated violence despite Taliban efforts to maintain security since regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021.

“A suicide bomber, who had improvised explosive devices, detonated himself,” said Jumadin Khaksar, police spokesman for Kunduz province.

He said civilians, civil servants and members of the Taliban security forces were among those killed.

“The Kunduz Province Police Command is working with relevant organisations to find the perpetrators of the incident and bring them to justice.”

In March last year, a suicide bomber killed at least three people when he detonated a bomb outside a bank in the southern city of Kandahar, in an attack claimed by the regional chapter of the Islamic State (IS).

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.

The number of bomb blasts and suicide attacks in Afghanistan has markedly declined since the Taliban ended their insurgency after seizing power in August 2021, ousting the US-backed government.

However, a number of armed groups — including IS — remain a threat.

(AFP)