Afghanistan: 3 killed in suicide attack

On Thursday, a suicide bomber killed three civilians and injured 12 others who were gathering in front of a bank in Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan, according to officials.

The victims were gathering outside a private bank to pick up their monthly salaries, said Inamullah Samangani, head of the government's Kandahar Information and Culture Department.

The attack occurred around 8 a.m. local time (03:30 GMT/UTC) outside the New Kabul Bank branch.

Taliban authorities were surrounding the area and told hospitals not to speak to the media, according to an AFP journalist who was at the site.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, yet. However, the Islamic State group has claimed similar attacks in Afghanistan in the past and remains a threat to the country. 

Taliban and combating terrorism

The Taliban came back into power in August 2021 as the US ended its military presence in the country.

According to the magazine The Diplomat, terrorist attacks in Pakistan have increased significantly since the Taliban took power — by almost 70% in 2023 alone. 

Recently, there has been an escalation in tension between Pakistan and the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan.

"Pakistan's main concern is the security threat that we face from terror groups, especially the TTP and its affiliates, which have hideouts and safe heavens inside Afghanistan," Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson, told DW.

Islamabad has persistently demanded that the Afghan Taliban rein in their Pakistani counterpart, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and use their influence to discourage them from attacking Pakistani troops and civilians.

The Afghan Taliban's response to this demand has been lukewarm, which, in turn, has emboldened the TTP.

as/rc (AFP, AP, dpa)