KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The Islamic State group or Daesh claimed responsibility for a bombing at a bank in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, which resulted in significant casualties. The attack occurred on Thursday at a New Kabul Bank branch, where individuals were gathering to collect their salaries. According to various sources, the explosion killed at least 20 people and injured 30 others.
The Taliban reported a lower casualty figure, stating that three people died and 12 were injured in the attack. Inamullah Samangani, the head of the Taliban’s Information and Culture Department in Kandahar, confirmed that the victims were at the bank to receive their monthly salaries.
Daesh’s Khorasan Province, a rival of the Taliban, has been behind several attacks across Afghanistan, targeting schools, hospitals, mosques, and predominantly Shiite areas.
Late Thursday, the group announced through its Aamaq news agency that the attack involved a suicide bomber who detonated an explosive belt among Taliban members lined up near the bank for their salaries.
Kandahar is considered a spiritual and political hub for the Taliban, notably because Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s leader, is based there. His directives on major issues are carried out by Taliban authorities in Kabul, the nation’s capital.
