A devastating explosion ripped through a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul on Monday, resulting in at least seven fatalities and multiple injuries, prompting a formal diplomatic demand from Beijing for enhanced protection of its citizens. The attack, which occurred in the heavily secured Shahr-e-Naw district, has been claimed by the jihadist organization Islamic State (IS).
According to officials, the victims included six Afghan nationals and one Chinese citizen. The blast originated near the kitchen of the ‘Chinese Noodle’ restaurant, which operated beneath a guesthouse. Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police, confirmed the details while noting that the precise nature of the explosion remains under active investigation, contradicting IS’s swift claim of responsibility.
In response to the tragedy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated that Beijing has made urgent representations to the Taliban-led government. China demanded comprehensive medical care for the injured and the implementation of more robust measures to safeguard Chinese nationals residing in or traveling to Afghanistan. The government subsequently issued a renewed advisory, urging its citizens to avoid travel to the country.
Humanitarian organization EMERGENCY reported receiving 20 casualties at its local hospital. Dejan Panic, the group’s Afghanistan director, confirmed that seven individuals were declared dead upon arrival, with the injured including four women and a child. Social media footage and eyewitness accounts described a scene of severe destruction, with a large section of the building torn open and a vehicle outside completely obliterated. Local residents assisted in transporting critically wounded individuals to medical facilities, and white sheets were later erected to conceal the damaged structure.
The targeted establishment, which primarily served the Chinese Muslim community, was operated by an ethnic Uyghur businessman from China’s Xinjiang region, his wife, and an Afghan partner. In its official statement, the local IS branch explicitly cited China’s policies in Xinjiang as motivation, placing the country ‘on the list’ of its targets due to alleged ‘crimes against the oppressed Uyghur Muslims.’ The Chinese government has consistently denied all accusations of human rights abuses in the region.
This incident marks a continuation of violence against Chinese interests in the area. IS previously claimed an attack on a Chinese-owned hotel in Kabul in 2022, and six Chinese nationals were killed in separate incidents in neighboring Tajikistan just last November, leading to further security advisories from Beijing.