IS claims responsibility for attack outside Iraqi embassy in Kabul
Afghan security forces arrive at the site of an explosion at the Iraqi embassy in Kabul. (AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
A car bomb targeted the Iraqi embassy in Kabul as Afghan security forces battled gunmen near the embassy. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Two police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press (AP) that the car bomb exploded outside the embassy, followed by an attempt by gunmen to enter the building, which is located in the center of the Afghan capital.
A police officer in the area, who identified himself only as Abdullah, told AP the gunfire was initially intense but was now sporadic. The area was surrounded by armored vehicles and a large contingent of police and Afghan soldiers.
“The explosion was so strong. I was so afraid” an eyewitness who works at the nearby office of Afghanistan’s National Airline Ariana told AP.
Another eyewitness said that he saw the bodies of two policemen on the ground before armored personnel carriers and police arrived to cordon off the area.