ISKP Escalates Its War Against Beijing in Latest Attack Targeting Chinese Nationals, Promises More to Come
A deadly bombing at the Chinese Noodle restaurant in Kabul’s Shahr‑e‑Naw district, which killed at least six Afghans and one Chinese national and injured many others, marks the latest flashpoint in the steadily intensifying confrontation between the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP) and China. Claimed by the local Islamic State branch, the attack struck a venue run by a Chinese Muslim from Xinjiang in a heavily guarded area of the capital, starkly illustrating both the vulnerability of Chinese nationals in Afghanistan and the limits of Taliban security guarantees at a moment when Beijing is pressing Kabul to deliver stronger protection for its citizens and investments.
The official Islamic State (IS) claim noted that the suicide bomber “entered the hotel and stayed there for nearly 30 minutes, waiting for a large number of Chinese to gather, before detonating his explosive vest among them, causing significant destruction to the hotel.” “Chinese hotel visited by Chinese nationals in the secure “Shahr-e Naw” area, which houses embassies and government offices and is inhabited by officials and foreigners in the center of Kabul”. The statement concludes by putting China on notice, asserting “The Islamic State in Afghanistan has placed Chinese nationals on its target list, especially in light of the increasing crimes committed by the Chinese government against the persecuted Uyghur Muslims.”
