• The bomber attempted to enter the ministry building itself but was unsuccessful
• Police reported that at least five civilians had been killed
• Isis-K, a local branch of the Islamic State organization, claimed responsibility.

A suicide bombing outside the Afghan Foreign Ministry in Kabul has caused a number of casualties.

Police reported that at least five civilians had been killed, but a Taliban official said that there may have been as many as 20.

Isis-K, a local branch of the Islamic State organization, claimed responsibility for the attack.

It follows recent explosions aimed at foreign interests. There are embassies for a number of countries in the region, including Turkey and China.

The bomber attempted to enter the ministry building itself but was unsuccessful, according to the Taliban, and the attack happened around 16:00 local time (11:30 GMT).

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Isis-K said in a post on Telegram that the blast killed at least 20 people. It also said “several ‘diplomatic’ employees” were among the dead, in a claim that could not be independently verified.

According to earlier reports, the Chinese delegation was scheduled to meet with Afghan government representatives inside the foreign ministry building at the time of the incident.

However, a top official in the prime minister’s office confirmed to sources that there were no foreigners there.

In recent months, a number of attacks have targeted foreigners or foreign targets.

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Correspondents say that the Taliban tend to underplay casualty figures in such incidents.

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According to reporters, the Taliban frequently exaggerate the number of casualties in these situations.

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