IS claims responsibility for attack on Pakistani embassy in Kabul

Islamic State (IS) Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for an attack on Pakistan’s embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday, a statement carried by one of the militant group’s affiliated channels on Telegram said on Sunday.

The embassy came under attack on Friday with gunfire wounding a Pakistani security guard, officials said, in what Islamabad called an attempt to assassinate its head of mission, who was unhurt.

IS claimed the attack was carried by two of its members armed with “medium and sniper weapons” and was targeting the ambassador and his guards who were present at the courtyard of the embassy.

The attack injured at least one guard and caused damage to the building, the group said.

It may be noted here that yesterday, the gun attack was carried out at a time when Chargé d’Affaires to Afghanistan Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani was walking in the garden of Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul.

An embassy official said a lone attacker “came behind the cover of houses and started firing,” but that the ambassador and other staff were safe.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and added, “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will not allow any malicious actors to pose a threat to the security of diplomatic missions in Kabul.”