Several killed in Kabul hotel blast

KABUL: Several people were killed or injured in a blast at a hotel in a heavily guarded part of central Kabul on Monday, officials said.

“According to preliminary reports, a number of people were killed and injured,” Interior Ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani said.

Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said the explosion occurred at a hotel in the Shahr-e-Naw commercial area, which houses offices, shopping centres and foreign embassies. The neighbourhood is considered one of the safest parts of the city.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

The Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021 promising to restore security, has faced continued attacks, many claimed by the local branch of the militant Islamic State group.