Alpha News

ISIS Claims Responsibility for Deadly Kabul Restaurant Bombing

Published January 20, 2026, 06:38

The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the deadly explosion that occurred yesterday in a Chinese restaurant at a hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan. The explosion resulted in the deaths of at least seven people and injured several others. According to the Amaq news agency, affiliated with the organization, the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber. ISIS states that it is targeting Chinese citizens in retaliation for the policies of the Chinese government against the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority living in the Xinjiang province of China. The explosion took place in one of the most secure areas of Kabul, in the Shah-ri-Naw district, where government buildings, shopping centers, and embassies are located. The restaurant was owned by a Chinese Muslim, and the explosion occurred in the kitchen, resulting in the deaths of six Afghans and one Chinese national. Since the Taliban came to power in 2021, security in the country has not significantly improved, with bomb attacks continuing to occur. ISIS has claimed responsibility for many of these attacks.