A suicide bombing outside a bank in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, claimed the lives of five people, including Taliban security personnel, on Tuesday, according to local police.
The explosion occurred near a queue of people waiting to withdraw their salaries at the bank in Kunduz, the provincial capital. Seven others sustained injuries in the blast.
Jumadin Khaksar, the police spokesperson for Kunduz province, confirmed that the attacker detonated an improvised explosive device, killing both civilians and security officials.
He added that authorities are working with relevant agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Tuesday’s attack bears similarities to a March 2023 suicide bombing in Kandahar, where at least three people were killed outside a bank in an attack later claimed by the regional branch of the Islamic State (IS).
However, no group has yet taken responsibility for the Kunduz bombing.
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, ending their insurgency against the former US-backed government, incidents of bombings and suicide attacks have declined.
Despite this, armed groups such as IS continue to pose a security threat across the country.