Official: Explosion near Foreign Ministry in Kabul kills 5

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A police spokesman in Kabul says an explosion near the Foreign Ministry in the Afghan capital has killed five civilians and wounded a number of others. It is the second prominent attack in Kabul so far this year. The spokesman says that in the mid-afternoon explosion in Kabul on Wednesday “five of our civilians were killed and a number of others were wounded.” There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan has stepped up its attacks since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Targets have included Taliban patrols and members of the country’s Shiite minority.